Cosmetic composition

ABSTRACT

A method for topically treating skin is disclosed. The method can include applying to skin a composition that includes tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, Morus alba fruit extract, Acmella oleracea extract, and retinol, wherein topical application of the composition treats the skin.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.17/117,574, filed Dec. 10, 2020, which claims the benefit of priority toU.S. Provisional Application No. 62/946,120, filed Dec. 10, 2019. Thecontents of the referenced applications are incorporated into thepresent application by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to topical skin compositions andmethods that can be used to reduce lines and wrinkles, improve evennessof skin tone, improve elasticity of skin, and/or improve skin barrierfunction. In particular, the compositions can include plant basedmaterials selected from Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Morus albafruit extract, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol, Acmella oleraceaextract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Argania spinosa oil, orsaccharide isomerate, or any combination thereof.

Description of Related Art

Ageing, chronic exposure to adverse environmental factors, malnutrition,fatigue, etc., can change the visual appearance, physical properties, orphysiological functions of skin and tissue in ways that are consideredvisually undesirable. Notable and obvious changes include thedevelopment of fine lines and wrinkles, loss of elasticity, decreasedskin barrier function, increased sagging, loss of firmness, loss ofcolor evenness or tone, coarse surface texture, and mottledpigmentation. Less obvious but measurable changes which occur as skinand tissue ages or endures chronic environmental insult include ageneral reduction in cellular and tissue vitality, reduction in cellreplication rates, reduced cutaneous blood flow, reduced moisturecontent, accumulated errors in structure and function, alterations inthe normal regulation of common biochemical pathways, and a reduction inthe skin's and tissue's ability to remodel and repair itself. Many ofthe alterations in appearance and function of the skin are caused bychanges in the outer epidermal layer of the skin, while others arecaused by changes in the lower dermis. Regardless of the stimulus forskin damage, when damage occurs, numerous natural and complexbiochemical mechanisms are set into motion in attempts to repair thedamage.

Extrinsic and intrinsic factors that can damage the skin or tissues aredifficult or impossible to avoid. When exposed to some extrinsicfactors, when damaged, or through intrinsic factors, the production ofstructural proteins and proteins involved in elasticity and binding ofthe skin and tissue can decrease (e.g., elastin, collagen, laminin, andfibronectin). The decrease in such proteins can lead to undesiredoutcomes such as sagging, decreased firmness, etc. of the skin. Thus,compositions and methods are desired that can firm and condition theskin and/or increase production of elastin, collagen, laminin, and/orfibronectin.

Further, skin-related issues such as lines and wrinkles, unevenness ofskin tone, decreased elasticity of skin, and/or lowered skin barrierfunction can be linked to high anti-oxidant capacity (TEAC) in skin,decrease in collagen expression, decrease in elastin expression,decrease in laminin expression, increase in matrix metallopeptidase-1(MMP-1), increase in matrix metallopeptidase-3 (MMP-3), increase inmatrix metallopeptidase-9 (MMP-9), increase in pro-inflammatorycytokines (e.g., lipoxygenase, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8(IL-8), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), or vascular endothelial growthfactor (VEGF)), increase in elastase expression, and/or decrease infibronectin expression in skin.

Maintaining moisture of the skin helps overcome some unwanted changes inskin. However, maintaining moisture of the skin can be difficult. Thisis especially true for subjects with skin that is more dry than average(dry skin type). Exposure to chemicals, solvents, washing, cosmetics,fabrics, or dry environments are some of the many ways that skin canlose moisture.

Skin and hair can lose moisture as a result of cleansing and/orfreshening the skin and hair. Skin and hair cleansing and/or fresheningcompositions are typically applied to skin and/or hair and rinsed-offwith water (e.g., rinse-off product), robbing the skin of natural oilsand lipids. Further, cleansing and freshening compositions oftentimeshave ingredients that can be caustic to the surfaces to be cleansed. Forinstance, many types of cleansers and fresheners use certain surfactantsthat can cause skin irritation.

Moisturizers are complex mixtures of chemical agents specially designedto make the external layers of the skin (epidermis) softer and morepliable. They increase the skin's hydration (water content) by reducingevaporation. Naturally occurring skin lipids and sterols, as well asartificial or natural oils, humectants, emollients, lubricants, etc.,may be part of the composition of commercial skin moisturizers. Theyusually are available as commercial products for cosmetic andtherapeutic uses, but can also be made at home using common pharmacyingredients. However, moisturizers are not perfect. Some problemsassociated with moisturizers include unpleasant tactile properties(e.g., heavy, greasy, or sticky feel), instability, skin-irritation, orinsufficient moisturization capabilities.

Others have attempted to create compositions and methods that reduce theappearance of fine lines and wrinkles, repair unevenness in skin tone,increase skin elasticity, improve skin barrier function, promotehydration, strengthen and repair skin, and firm and condition skin.However, many attempts have been ineffective, only addressed one or afew of the undesired outcomes, or caused unacceptable side effectsthemselves, such as skin irritation or an allergic response. As anexample, retinol, a retinoid, has been used to reduce fine lines andwrinkles by increasing the production of collagen, used to improve skincolor by increasing new blood vessels in the skin, and used to fade agespots and soften skin (Harvard Health Publishing, Healthbeat, “Doretinoids really reduce wrinkles?”). However, retinol is known to causeskin dryness, irritation, and sensitivity to sunlight. Id. Further, notevery effective composition will be compatible with every skin or tissuetype. Thus, there is a need for new products that are effective atreducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, moisturizing skin,promoting hydration, strengthening and repairing skin, and firming andconditioning skin.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventors have identified a solution to the problems associated withcurrent cosmetic products. The solution resides in a combination ofingredients including Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Morus albafruit extract, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol, Acmella oleraceaextract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Argania spinosa oil, and/orsaccharide isomerate. The combination can be used to create topicalcompositions that reduce lines and wrinkles, even skin tone, lightenskin tone, increase skin radiance, reduce photodamage, increaseelasticity, increase skin barrier function, increase skin firmness,reduce sagging skin, increase anti-oxidant capacity in skin, increasecollagen expression in skin, increase elastin expression in skin,increase laminin expression in skin, inhibit MMP-1, inhibit MMP-3,inhibit MMP-9, inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., lipoxygenase,IL-6, Il-8, TNF-α, or VEGF), inhibit elastase expression in skin, and/orincrease fibronectin expression in skin. Additional benefits can reduceor mitigate unwanted side effects shown in other retinol products suchas erythema or redness in skin, skin dryness, peeling or flaking ofskin, and/or skin irritation including without limitation, burning,stinging, itching, or tingling. In some aspects, an effective amount ofa combination of Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Morus alba fruitextract, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol, 130958289.1-4 Acmellaoleracea extract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Argania spinosa oil, andsaccharide isomerate was shown in clinical studies to be as effective ormore effective than other skin care compositions containing 1 wt. %retinol, even when less than 1 wt. % retinol (e.g., 0.5 wt. % retinol)was used in the combination.

In some aspects, there is disclosed a topical composition that includesany one of, any combination of, or all of Rosmarinus officianalis leafextract, Morus alba fruit extract, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol,Acmella oleracea extract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Argania spinosaoil, and/or saccharide isomerate. The amounts of the ingredients withinthe composition can vary (e.g., amounts can be as low as 0.000001% to ashigh as 99% w/w or any range therein). In some aspects, the topicalcomposition includes 0.01 to 10% w/w of Argania spinosa oil, 0.01 to 20%w/w of tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, 0.0001 to 5% w/w of Acmella oleraceaextract, 0.0001 to 5% w/w of Alpinia galanga leaf extract, 0.0001 to 5%w/w of saccharide isomerate, 0.0001 to 2% w/w of Morus alba fruitextract, 0.0001 to 2% w/w of Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract, and/or0.001 to 2% w/w of retinol. In some aspects, the topical compositionincludes 0.1 to 5% w/w of Argania spinosa oil, 0.1 to 10% w/w oftetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, 0.001 to 2% w/w of Acmella oleracea extract,0.001 to 2% w/w of Alpinia galanga leaf extract, 0.001 to 2% w/w ofsaccharide isomerate, 0.001 to 1% w/w of Morus alba fruit extract, 0.001to 1% w/w of Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract, and 0.01 to 1% w/w ofretinol. In some instances, the composition contains less than 1% w/w ofretinol. In some instances, the composition contains retinol in anamount of 1% w/w, less than 1% w/w, 0.1% w/w to 0.7% w/w, 0.3% w/w to0.7% w/w, 0.1% w/w to 0.6% w/w, 0.3% w/w to 0.6% w/w, 0.1% w/w to 0.5%w/w, 0.3% w/w to 0.5% w/w, 0.5% w/w to less than 1% w/w, 0.5% w/w to0.9% w/w, 0.5% w/w to 0.7% w/w, 0.5% w/w to 0.6% w/w, or 0.5% w/w, anyamount or range therein.

In some instances, the composition includes an effective amount ofRosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Morus alba fruit extract,tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol, Acmella oleracea extract, Alpiniagalanga leaf extract, Argania spinosa oil, and/or saccharide isomerate.In some instances, the composition includes an effective amount ofRosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Morus alba fruit extract,tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, Acmella oleracea extract, Alpinia galangaleaf extract, Argania spinosa oil, saccharide isomerate, and less than1% w/w retinol, such as 0.5% w/w, to reduce fine lines and/or wrinkles,improve skin color, lighten skin, and/or smooth skin as effective as alarger amount of retinol, such as 1% w/w. In some instances, thecomposition includes an amount of Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract,Morus alba fruit extract, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol, Acmellaoleracea extract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Argania spinosa oil,and/or saccharide isomerate effective to do one or more of thefollowing: reduce lines and wrinkles, even skin tone, lighten skin tone,increase skin radiance, reduce photodamage, increase elasticity,increase skin barrier function, increase skin firmness, reduce saggingskin, increase anti-oxidant capacity (TEAC) in skin, increase collagenexpression in skin, increase elastin expression in skin, increaselaminin expression in skin, inhibit MMP-1, inhibit MMP-3, inhibit MMP-9,inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., lipoxygenase, IL-6, Il-8,TNF-α, or VEGF), inhibit elastase expression in skin, and/or increasefibronectin expression in skin. In some instances, the compositionincludes an effective amount of Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract toincrease anti-oxidant capacity in skin, inhibit MMP-1, MMP-3, and/orMMP-9 in skin, inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines lipoxygenase, IL-6,Il-8, TNF-α, and/or VEGF, and/or inhibit elastase expression in skin. Insome instances, the composition includes an effective amount of Morusalba fruit extract to increase anti-oxidant capacity in skin, increasecollagen expression in skin, increase laminin expression in skin,inhibit MMP-1, MMP-3, and/or MMP-9 in skin, inhibit elastase expressionin skin, and/or increase fibronectin expression in skin; and/or aneffective amount of tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate to increase collagenexpression in skin, inhibit MMP-3 and/or MMP-9 in skin, and/or inhibitIL-6; and/or an effective amount of retinol to reduce fine lines andwrinkles by increasing the production of collagen, used to improve skincolor by increasing new blood vessels in the skin, and used to fade agespots and soften skin; and/or an effective amount of Acmella oleraceaextract to increase anti-oxidant capacity in skin, increase collagenexpression in skin, increase laminin expression in skin, inhibit MMP-9,and/or inhibit lipoxygenase and/or IL-6; and/or an effective amount ofAlpinia galanga leaf extract to increase collagen expression in skin,increase elastin expression in skin, and/or increase laminin expressionin skin; and/or an effective amount of Argania spinosa kernel extract toincrease collagen expression in skin, increase elastin expression inskin, increase laminin expression in skin, and/or increase fibronectinexpression in skin; and/or an effective amount of Saccharide isomerateto inhibit TNF-α. In some instances, the Rosmarinus officianalis leafextract is an aqueous extract. In some instances, the Morus alba fruitextract is an aqueous extract. In some instances, the Morus alba fruitextract is a glycerol/water extract. The extraction of the fruits ofMorus alba can be harvested without the use of alcohol by using aglycerol/water mix as the extraction solvent. In some instances, theAcmella oleracea extract is an aqueous extract. In some instances, theAlpinia galanga leaf extract is an aqueous extract. In some instances,the Argania spinosa kernel extract is an aqueous extract. In someinstances, the Argania spinosa kernel extract is an oil-based proteinhydrosylate extract from oil cakes.

In some instances, the composition further includes water. In someinstances, the composition includes 1 to 95% w/w of water. In someinstances, the composition further contains one or more ofcaprylic/capric triglyceride, pentylene glycol, dimethicone, silica,betaine, polysorbate 20, caprylyl glycol, butylene glycol, tocopherylacetate, butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin,and/or butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). In some instances, thecomposition contains one or more of 0.1 to 10% w/w of caprylic/caprictriglyceride, 0.1 to 5% w/w of pentylene glycol, 0.1 to 5% w/w ofdimethicone, 0.1 to 5% w/w of silica, 0.01 to 5% w/w of betaine, 0.01 to5% w/w of polysorbate 20, 0.01 to 1% w/w of carylyl glycol, 0.01 to 1%w/w of butylene glycol, 0.01 to 1% w/w of tocopheryl acetate, 0.01 to 1%w/w of BHT, 0.001 to 0.5% w/w of hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, and 0.001to 0.5% w/w of BHA. In some instances, the composition contains 0.1 to5% w/w of glyceryl stearate and 0.1 to 5% w/w of cetyl alcohol. In someinstances, the composition contains one or more of glycerin, ammoniumacryloyldimethyltaurate/polyvinylpyrrolidone (VP) copolymer,propanediol, and/or sorbic acid. In some instances, the compositioncontains 0.1 to 10% w/w of glycerin, 0.1 to 5% w/w of ammoniumacryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer, 0.01 to 5% w/w of propanediol,and/or 0.001 to 0.5% w/w of sorbic acid. In some instances, thecomposition contains Opuntia tuna fruit extract. In some instances, thecomposition contains 0.00001 to 0.001% w/w of Opuntia tuna fruitextract.

In some aspects, the compositions of the present invention can furtherinclude a surfactant, a silicone containing compounds, a UV agent, anoil, and/or other ingredients identified in this specification or thoseknown in the art. The composition can be a lotion, cream, body butter,mask, scrub, wash, gel, serum, emulsion (e.g., oil-in-water,water-in-oil, silicone-in-water, water-in-silicone,water-in-oil-in-water, oil-in-water-in-oil, oil-in-water-in-silicone,etc.), solutions (e.g., aqueous or hydro-alcoholic solutions), anhydrousbases (e.g., lipstick or a powder), ointments, milk, paste, aerosol,solid forms, eye jellies, gel serums, gel emulsions, etc. Thecomposition can be formulated for topical skin application at least 1,2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or more times a day during use. In some aspects of thepresent invention, compositions can be storage stable or color stable,or both. It is also contemplated that the viscosity of the compositioncan be selected to achieve a desired result, e.g., depending on the typeof composition desired, the viscosity of such composition can be fromabout 1 cps to well over 1 million cps or any range or integer derivabletherein (e.g., 2 cps, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70,80, 90, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900, 1000, 2000, 3000,4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000, 10000, 20000, 30000, 40000, 50000,60000, 70000, 80000, 90000, 100000, 200000, 300000, 400000, 500000,600000, 700000, 800000, 900000, 1000000, 2000000, 3000000, 4000000,5000000, 10000000, cps, etc., as measured on a Brookfield Viscometerusing a TC spindle at 2.5 rpm at 25° C.).

The compositions, in non-limiting aspects, can have a pH of about 6 toabout 9. In some aspects, the pH can be 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10,11, 12, 13, or 14. The compositions can include a triglyceride.Non-limiting examples include small, medium, and large chaintriglycerides. In certain aspects, the triglyceride is a medium chaintriglyceride (e.g., caprylic capric triglyceride). The compositions canalso include preservatives. Non-limiting examples of preservativesinclude phenoxyethanol, methylparaben, propylparaben, iodopropynylbutylcarbamate, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate, or any mixturethereof. In some embodiments, the composition is paraben-free.

Compositions of the present invention can have UVA and UVB absorptionproperties. The compositions can have a sun protection factor (SPF) of2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45,50, 55, 60, or more, or any integer or derivative therein. Thecompositions can be sunscreen lotions, sprays, or creams.

The compositions of the present invention can also include any one of,any combination of, or all of the following additional ingredients: aconditioning agent, a moisturizing agent, a pH adjuster, a structuringagent, inorganic salts, a preservative, a thickening agent, a siliconecontaining compound, an essential oil, a fragrance, a vitamin, apharmaceutical ingredient, or an antioxidant, or any combination of suchingredients or mixtures of such ingredients. In certain aspects, thecomposition can include at least two, three, four, five, six, seven,eight, nine, ten, or more, or all of these additional ingredientsidentified in the previous sentence. Non-limiting examples of theseadditional ingredients are identified throughout this specification andare incorporated into this section by reference. The amounts of suchingredients can range from 0.0001% to 99.9% by weight or volume of thecomposition, or any integer or range in between as disclosed in othersections of this specification, which are incorporated into thisparagraph by reference.

Methods of use for the compositions disclosed herein are also disclosed.In some aspects, a method is disclosed to reduce lines and wrinkles,even skin tone, lighten skin tone, increase skin radiance, reducephotodamage, increase elasticity, increase skin barrier function,increase skin firmness, reduce sagging skin, or any combination thereof.In some aspects, a method is disclosed to increase anti-oxidant capacity(TEAC) in skin, increase collagen expression in skin, increase elastinexpression in skin, increase laminin expression in skin, inhibit MMP-1,inhibit MMP-3, inhibit MMP-9, inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g.,lipoxygenase, IL-6, Il-8, TNF-α, or VEGF), inhibit elastase expressionin skin, and/or increase fibronectin expression in skin, or anycombination thereof. In some instances, the method comprises topicallyapplying any one of the compositions disclosed herein to skin in needthereof. In one aspect, any one of the compositions disclosed herein aretopically applied and the composition is left on the application area,removed from the application area after a period of time, and/or removeddirectly after application.

In some aspects, the compositions disclosed herein are used to increaseanti-oxidant capacity (TEAC) in skin, which can reduce oxidative damagein skin, can be beneficial for improving skin firmness, reducing saggingskin, and can improve elasticity and reduce signs of ageing. In someaspects, the compositions disclosed herein are used to increase collagenexpression in skin, which can be beneficial in reducing the appearanceof fine lines or wrinkles and/or reducing the appearance of sagging ornon-elastic skin by increasing cross-linking of elastins and collagens,thereby creating a more structurally sound matrix of supportive proteinsin the skin. In some aspects, the compositions disclosed herein are usedto increase elastin expression in skin, which can be beneficial to helpskin resume its shape after stretching and/or contracting. In someaspects, the compositions disclosed herein are used to increase lamininexpression in skin, which can be beneficial to the structural integrityof the skin. In some aspects, the compositions disclosed herein are usedto inhibit MMP-1, MMP-3, and/or MMP-9, which can slow collagendegradation, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, and can prevent skindarkening and lighten dark spots associated with ageing. In someaspects, the compositions disclosed herein are used to inhibitpro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., lipoxygenase, IL-6, Il-8, TNF-α, orVEGF), which can be beneficial to inhibit inflammation, decrease rednessin skin, lessen uneven pigmentation in skin, and improve structuralintegrity in skin. In some aspects, the compositions disclosed hereinare used to inhibit elastase expression in skin, which can slow thedegradation of elastin and can be beneficial to help skin resume itsshape after stretching and/or contracting. In some aspects, thecompositions disclosed herein are used to increase fibronectinexpression in skin, which can be beneficial to the structural integrityof the skin. In some instances, the methods disclosed herein comprisetopically applying any one of the composition disclosed herein to skinin need thereof.

It is also contemplated that the compositions disclosed throughout thisspecification can be used as a leave-on or rinse-off composition. By wayof example, a leave-on composition can be one that is topically appliedto skin and remains on the skin for a period of time (e.g., at least 5,6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 20, or 30 minutes, or at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 or 24 hours,or overnight or throughout the day). Alternatively, a rinse-offcomposition can be a product that is intended to be applied to the skinand then removed or rinsed from the skin (e.g., with water) within aperiod of time such as less than 5, 4, 3, 2, or 1 minute. An example ofa rinse off composition can be a skin cleanser, shampoo, conditioner, orsoap. An example of a leave-on composition can be a skin moisturizer,sunscreen, mask, overnight cream, or a day cream.

Kits that include the compositions of the present invention are alsocontemplated. In certain embodiments, the composition is comprised in acontainer. The container can be a bottle, dispenser, or package. Thecontainer can dispense a pre-determined amount of the composition. Incertain aspects, the compositions is dispensed in a spray, mist, dollop,or liquid. The container can include indicia on its surface. The indiciacan be a word, an abbreviation, a picture, or a symbol.

It is contemplated that any embodiment discussed in this specificationcan be implemented with respect to any method or composition of theinvention, and vice versa. Furthermore, compositions of the inventioncan be used to achieve methods of the invention.

In some embodiments, compositions of the present invention can bepharmaceutically or cosmetically elegant or can have pleasant tactileproperties. “Pharmaceutically elegant,” “cosmetically elegant,” and/or“pleasant tactile properties” describes a composition that hasparticular tactile properties which feel pleasant on the skin (e.g.,compositions that are not too watery or greasy, compositions that have asilky texture, compositions that are non-tacky or sticky, etc.).Pharmaceutically or cosmetically elegant can also relate to thecreaminess or lubricity properties of the composition or to the moistureretaining properties of the composition.

Also contemplated is a product comprising a composition of the presentinvention. In non-limiting aspects, the product can be a cosmeticproduct. The cosmetic product can be those described in other sectionsof this specification or those known to a person of skill in the art.Non-limiting examples of products include a moisturizer, a cream, alotion, a skin softener, a serum, a gel, a wash, a body butter, a scrub,a foundation, a night cream, a lipstick, a cleanser, a toner, asunscreen, a mask, an anti-aging product, a deodorant, anantiperspirant, a perfume, a cologne, etc.

Also disclosed are the following Embodiments 1 to 38 of the presentinvention. Embodiment 1 is a method for topically treating skin, themethod comprising applying to skina composition comprising a combinationof: Argania spinosa oil, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, Acmella oleraceaextract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, saccharide isomerate, Morus albafruit extract, Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract, and retinol, whereintopical application of the composition is used to treat skin. Embodiment2 is the method of Embodiment 1, wherein the composition comprises aneffective amount of the combination to provide one or more anti-agingbenefits comprising reducing deep lines and wrinkles, evening unevenskin tone, lightening skin tone, increasing skin radiance, reducingphotodamage, increasing elasticity of skin, increasing skin firmness,reducing sagging skin, reducing loss of facial volume, and/or increasingskin barrier function. Embodiment 3 is the method of any one ofEmbodiments 1 to 2, wherein the combination provides one or moreanti-aging benefits comprising one or more of inhibiting anti-oxidantcapacity in skin, increasing collagen expression in skin, increasingelastin expression in skin, increasing laminin expression in skin,inhibiting MMP-1, inhibiting MMP-3, inhibiting MMP-9, inhibitingpro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., lipoxygenase, IL-6, Il-8, TNF-α, orVEGF), inhibiting elastase expression in skin, and/or increasingfibronectin expression in skin. Embodiment 4 is the method of any one ofEmbodiments 1 to 3, wherein the combination reduces or mitigateserythema or redness in skin, skin dryness, peeling or flaking of skin,and/or skin irritation when applied to skin as compared to the sametopical composition comprising 1 wt. % retinol and not containing thecombination. Embodiment 5 is the method of any one of Embodiments 1 to4, wherein the composition comprises: 0.1 to 5% by weight of Arganiaspinosa oil, 0.1 to 10% by weight of tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, 0.001 to2% by weight of Acmella oleracea extract, 0.001 to 2% by weight ofAlpinia galanga leaf extract, 0.001 to 2% by weight of saccharideisomerate, 0.001 to 1% by weight of Morus alba fruit extract, 0.001 to1% by weight of Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract, and 0.01 to 1% byweight of retinol. Embodiment 6 is the method of any one of Embodiments1 to 5, the composition further comprising an effective amount of one ormore of: water, caprylic/capric triglyceride, pentylene glycol,tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, dimethicone, silica, betaine polysorbate 20,caprylyl glycol, butylene glycol, tocopheryl acetate, butylatedhydroxytoluene (BHT), hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, and butylatedhydroxyanisole (BHA) to moisturize and/or condition skin. Embodiment 7is the method of any one of Embodiments 1 to 6, the composition furthercomprising: 1 to 95% by weight water, 0.1 to 10% by weightcaprylic/capric triglyceride, 0.1 to 5% by weight pentylene glycol, 0.1to 5% by weight tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, 0.1 to 5% by weightdimethicone, 0.1 to 5% by weight silica, 0.01 to 5% by weight betaine,0.01 to 5% by weight polysorbate 20, 0.01 to 1% by weight caprylylglycol, 0.01 to 1% by weight butylene glycol, 0.01 to 1% by weighttocopheryl acetate, 0.001 to 1% by weight BHT, 0.001 to 0.5% by weighthydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, and/or 0.001 to 0.5% by weight BHA.Embodiment 8 is the method of any one of Embodiments 1 to 7, thecomposition further comprising one or more of: glycerin, ammoniumacryloyldimethyltaurate, propanediol, sodium phytate, triethanolamine,lactic acid, phenoxyethanol, polyacrylate-13, polyisobutene, sorbicacid, disodium EDTA, alcohol, xanthan gum, and iodopropynylbutylcarbamate. Embodiment 9 is the method of any one of Embodiments 1to 8, the composition further comprising: 0.1 to 30% by weight glycerin,0.01 to 10% by weight ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate, 0.01 to 10% byweight propanediol, 0.01 to 10% by weight sodium phytate, 0.01 to 5% byweight triethanolamine, 0.01 to 5% by weight lactic acid, 0.01 to 5% byweight phenoxyethanol, 0.001 to 2% by weight polyacrylate-13, 0.001 to1% by weight polyisobutene, 0.0001 to 1% by weight sorbic acid, 0.0001to 1% by weight disodium EDTA, 0.0001 to 1% by weight alcohol, 0.0001 to0.5% by weight xanthan gum, and/or 0.0001 to 0.5% by weight iodopropynylbutylcarbamate. Embodiment 10 is the method of any one of Embodiments 1to 9, wherein the composition is applied to one or more of: a fine lineor wrinkle and wherein application of the composition reduces the fineline or wrinkle, skin containing an uneven tone and wherein applicationof the composition evens skin tone, sagging skin or non-elastic skin andwherein application of the composition increases elasticity in skin,and/or skin with a reduced skin barrier function and wherein applicationof the composition increases skin barrier function. Embodiment 11 is themethod of any one of Embodiments 1 to 10, the composition comprising 40to 80% by weight of water. Embodiment 12 is the method of any one ofEmbodiments 1 to 11, the composition comprising 0.1 to 0.7% by weight ofretinol. Embodiment 13 is the method of any one of Embodiments 1 to 12,the composition comprising 0.3 to 0.6% by weight of retinol. Embodiment14 is the method of any one of Embodiments 1 to 13, the compositioncomprising 0.5% by weight of retinol. Embodiment 15 is the method of anyone of Embodiments 1 to 14, wherein Argania spinosa oil is an oilextract from the kernel of the Argan tree; Acmella oleracea extract is ahydroethanolic flower, leaf, and stem extract; Alpinia galangal leafextract is an aqueous leaf extract; saccharide isomerate extractcomprises an exopolysaccharide synthesized by Vibrio alginolyticus;Morus alba fruit extract is a water and glycerol extract; and/orRosmarinus officinalis leaf extract is a betaine, lactic acid, and waterextract. Embodiment 16 is the method of any one of Embodiments 1 to 15,wherein Acmella oleracea extract is an extract of dried flower, stem,and/or leaf; the Morus alba fruit extract does not comprise an extractof a Morus alba seed; and/or Morus alba fruit extract is not anethanolic extract. Embodiment 17 is the method of any one of Embodiments1 to 16, further comprising: i) applying a facial milk to the skinduring or after applying the composition to the skin; and/or 2)combining the facial milk and the composition and applying thecombination to the skin, wherein the facial milk comprises squalene,glycerin, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, Cocos nucifera(coconut) oil, Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, and Oleaeuropaea (olive) fruit oil. Embodiment 18 is the method of Embodiment17, wherein the facial milk further comprises water, caprylic/caprictriglyceride, glyceryl oleate citrate, hydrogenated lecithin,glycereth-2 cocoate, xanthan gum, disodium EDTA, hydroxypropylcyclodextrin, benzoic acid, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol, andiodopropynyl butylcarbamate. Embodiment 19 is the method of Embodiment17, further comprising mixing the composition and the facial milk tocreate a mixture, and applying the mixture to skin. Embodiment 20 is themethod of any one of Embodiments 1 to 19, wherein the compositionfurther comprises squalene, glycerin, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seedoil, Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seedoil, and Olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, water, caprylic/caprictriglyceride, glyceryl oleate citrate, hydrogenated lecithin,glycereth-2 cocoate, xanthan gum, disodium EDTA, hydroxypropylcyclodextrin, benzoic acid, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol, andiodopropynyl butylcarbamate. Embodiment 21 is a topical skin compositioncomprising a combination of: Argania spinosa oil, tetrahexyldecylascorbate, Acmella oleracea extract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract,saccharide isomerate, Morus alba fruit extract, Rosmarinus officinalisleaf extract, and retinol. Embodiment 22 is the topical skin compositionof Embodiment 21, comprising an effective amount of the combination toprovide one or more anti-aging benefits comprising reducing deep linesand wrinkles, evening uneven skin tone, lightening skin tone, increasingskin radiance, reducing photodamage, increasing elasticity of skin,increasing skin firmness, reducing sagging skin, reducing loss of facialvolume, and/or increasing skin barrier function. Embodiment 23 is thetopical skin composition of any one of Embodiments 21 to 22, wherein thecombination provides anti-aging benefits comprising one or more ofinhibiting anti-oxidant capacity in skin, increasing collagen expressionin skin, increasing elastin expression in skin, increasing lamininexpression in skin, inhibiting MMP-1, inhibiting MMP-3, inhibitingMMP-9, inhibiting pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., lipoxygenase, IL-6,Il-8, TNF-α, or VEGF), inhibiting elastase expression in skin, and/orincreasing fibronectin expression in skin. Embodiment 24 is the topicalskin composition of any one of Embodiments 21 to 23, wherein thecombination reduces or mitigates erythema or redness in skin, skindryness, peeling or flaking of skin, and/or skin irritation when appliedto skin as compared to the same topical composition comprising 1 wt. %retinol and not containing the combination. Embodiment 25 is the topicalskin composition of any one of Embodiments 21 to 24, comprising: 0.1 to5% by weight of Argania spinosa oil, 0.1 to 10% by weight oftetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, 0.001 to 2% by weight of Acmella oleraceaextract, 0.001 to 2% by weight of Alpinia galanga leaf extract, 0.001 to2% by weight of saccharide isomerate, 0.001 to 1% by weight of Morusalba fruit extract, 0.001 to 1% by weight of Rosmarinus officinalis leafextract, and 0.01 to 1% by weight of retinol. Embodiment 26 is thetopical skin composition of any one of Embodiments 21 to 25, wherein thecomposition is formulated as a serum, cream, or cleanser. Embodiment 27is the topical skin composition of any one of Embodiments 21 to 26,further comprising an effective amount of: water, caprylic/caprictriglyceride, pentylene glycol, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, dimethicone,silica, betaine, polysorbate 20, caprylyl glycol, butylene glycol,tocopheryl acetate, BHT, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, and BHA tomoisturize and/or condition skin. Embodiment 28 is the topical skincomposition of any one of Embodiments 21 to 27, further comprising: 1 to95% by weight water, 0.1 to 10% by weight caprylic/capric triglyceride,0.1 to 5% by weight pentylene glycol, 0.1 to 5% by weighttetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, 0.1 to 5% by weight dimethicone, 0.1 to 5% byweight silica, 0.01 to 5% by weight betaine, 0.01 to 5% by weightpolysorbate 20, 0.01 to 1% by weight caprylyl glycol, 0.01 to 1% byweight butylene glycol, 0.01 to 1% by weight tocopheryl acetate, 0.01 to1% by weight BHT, 0.001 to 0.5% by weight hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin,and/or 0.001 to 0.5% by weight BHA. Embodiment 29 is the topical skincomposition of any one of Embodiments 21 to 28, further comprising:glycerin, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate, propanediol, sodium phytate,triethanolamine, lactic acid, phenoxyethanol, polyacrylate-13,polyisobutene, sorbic acid, disodium EDTA, alcohol, xanthan gum, andiodopropynyl butylcarbamate. Embodiment 30 is the topical skincomposition of any one of Embodiments 21 to 29, further comprising: 0.1to 30% by weight glycerin, 0.01 to 10% by weight ammoniumacryloyldimethyltaurate, 0.01 to 10% by weight propanediol, 0.01 to 10%by weight sodium phytate, 0.01 to 5% by weight triethanolamine, 0.01 to5% by weight lactic acid, 0.01 to 5% by weight phenoxyethanol, 0.001 to2% by weight polyacrylate-13, 0.001 to 1% by weight polyisobutene,0.0001 to 1% by weight sorbic acid, 0.0001 to 1% by weight disodiumEDTA, 0.0001 to 1% by weight alcohol, 0.0001 to 0.5% by weight xanthangum, and/or 0.0001 to 0.5% by weight iodopropynyl butylcarbamate.Embodiment 31 is the topical skin composition of any one of Embodiments21 to 30, comprising 0 to 90% by weight of water. Embodiment 32 is thetopical skin composition of any one of Embodiments 21 to 31, comprising0.1 to 0.7% by weight of retinol. Embodiment 33 is the topical skincomposition of any one of Embodiments 21 to 32, comprising 0.3 to 0.6%by weight of retinol. Embodiment 34 is the topical skin composition ofany one of Embodiments 21 to 33, comprising 0.5% by weight of retinol.Embodiment 35 is the topical skin composition of any one of Embodiments21 to 34, wherein Argania spinosa oil is an oil extract from the kernelof the Argan tree; Acmella oleracea extract is a hydroethanolic flower,leaf, and stem extract; Alpinia galangal leaf extract is an aqueous leafextract; saccharide isomerate extract comprises an exopolysaccharidesynthesized by Vibrio alginolyticus; Morus alba fruit extract is a waterand glycerol extract; and/or Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract is abetaine, lactic acid, and water extract. Embodiment 36 is the topicalskin composition of any one of Embodiments 21 to 35, further comprising0.001 to 2% by weight of Opuntia tuna (prickly pear) extract. Embodiment37 is the topical skin composition of any one of Embodiments 21 to 36,further comprising squalene, glycerin, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba)seed oil, Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, Carthamus tinctorius (safflower)seed oil, and Olea europaea (olive) fruit oil. Embodiment 38 is thetopical skin composition of Embodiment 37, further comprising water,caprylic/capric triglyceride, glyceryl oleate citrate, hydrogenatedlecithin, glycereth-2 cocoate, xanthan gum, disodium EDTA, hydroxypropylcyclodextrin, benzoic acid, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol, andiodopropynyl butylcarbamate.

“Topical application” means to apply or spread a composition onto thesurface of lips or keratinous tissue. “Topical skin composition”includes compositions suitable for topical application on skin and/orkeratinous tissue. Such compositions are typicallydermatologically-acceptable in that they do not have undue toxicity,incompatibility, instability, allergic response, and the like, whenapplied to skin and/or keratinous tissue. Topical skin care compositionsof the present invention can have a selected viscosity to avoidsignificant dripping or pooling after application to skin and/orkeratinous tissue.

“Keratinous tissue” includes keratin-containing layers disposed as theoutermost protective covering of mammals and includes, but is notlimited to, lips, skin, hair, and nails.

The term “about” or “approximately” are defined as being close to asunderstood by one of ordinary skill in the art. In one non-limitingembodiment the terms are defined to be within 10%, preferably within 5%,more preferably within 1%, and most preferably within 0.5%.

The term “substantially” and its variations are refers to ranges within10%, within 5%, within 1%, or within 0.5%.

The terms “inhibiting” or “reducing” or any variation of these termsincludes any measurable decrease or complete inhibition to achieve adesired result. The terms “promote” or “increase” or any variation ofthese terms includes any measurable increase, such as a measurableincrease of a protein or molecule (e.g., matrix proteins such asfibronectin, laminin, collagen, or elastin or molecules such ashyaluronic acid) to achieve a desired result.

The term “effective,” as that term is used in the specification and/orclaims, means adequate to accomplish a desired, expected, or intendedresult.

The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the terms“comprising,” “including,” “having,” or “containing,” or any variationsof these terms, in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,”but it is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at leastone,” and “one or more than one.”

As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising” (andany form of comprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having”(and any form of having, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and anyform of including, such as “includes” and “include”) or “containing”(and any form of containing, such as “contains” and “contain”) areinclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecitedelements or method steps.

The compositions and methods for their use can “comprise,” “consistessentially of,” or “consist of” any of the ingredients or stepsdisclosed throughout the specification. With respect to the phrase“consisting essentially of,” a basic and novel property of thecompositions and methods of the present invention is the ability toreduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, moisturize skin,promote hydration, strengthen and repair skin, firm and condition skin,improve skin barrier function, reduce skin desquamation, reduce skinroughness, and increase skin lubricity.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description. It should beunderstood, however, that the detailed description and the examples,while indicating specific embodiments of the invention, are given by wayof illustration only. Additionally, it is contemplated that changes andmodifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The following drawings form part of the present specification and areincluded to further demonstrate certain aspects of the presentinvention. The invention may be better understood by reference to one ormore of these drawings in combination with the detailed description ofspecific embodiments presented herein.

FIG. 1 shows results for skin firmness using a cutometer as ameasurement tool. Data indicated by an * is statistically significantcompared to Baseline values.

FIG. 2 shows results for net elasticity of skin using a cutometer as ameasurement tool. Data indicated by an * is statistically significantcompared to Baseline values.

FIG. 3 shows results for lightness of skin using a chromameter as ameasurement tool. Data indicated by an * is statistically significantcompared to Baseline values.

FIG. 4 shows results for skin redness using a chromameter as ameasurement tool. Data indicated by an * is statistically significantcompared to Baseline values.

FIG. 5 shows results for reduction of forehead wrinkles as scored on aDermatologist Scale from 0 to 9 (best to worst). Data indicated by an *is statistically significant compared to Baseline values.

FIG. 6 shows results for reduction of mottled pigmentation in skin asscored on a Dermatologist Scale from 0 to 9 (best to worst). Dataindicated by an * is statistically significant compared to Baselinevalues.

FIG. 7 shows results for increase in skin radiance as scored on aDermatologist Scale from 0 to 9 (worst to best). Data indicated by an *is statistically significant compared to Baseline values.

FIG. 8 shows results for increase in skin firmness as a tactile measureas scored on a Dermatologist Scale from 0 to 9 (worst to best). Dataindicated by an * is statistically significant compared to Baselinevalues.

FIG. 9 shows results for increase in skin elasticity as a tactilemeasure as scored on a Dermatologist Scale from 0 to 9 (worst to best).Data indicated by an * is statistically significant compared to Baselinevalues.

FIG. 10 shows results for reduction in overall photodamage as scored ona Dermatologist Scale from 0 to 9 (best to worst). Data indicated byan * is statistically significant compared to Baseline values.

FIG. 11 shows results for improvement in skin texture/smoothness asscored on a Dermatologist Scale from 0 to 9 (worst to best). Dataindicated by an * is statistically significant compared to Baselinevalues.

FIG. 12 shows results for increase in skin tone evenness as scored on aDermatologist Scale from 0 to 9 (worst to best). Data indicated by an *is statistically significant compared to Baseline values.

DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

As noted above, the present invention provides a solution to theproblems associated with current cosmetic products. In some embodiments,an effective amount of a combination of Rosmarinus officianalis leafextract, Morus alba fruit extract, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol,Acmella oleracea extract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Argania spinoseoil, and saccharide isomerate was shown in clinical studies to reducelines and wrinkles, even skin tone, lighten skin tone, increase skinradiance, reduce photodamage, increase elasticity, increase skin barrierfunction, increase skin firmness, reduce sagging skin, as well as, orbetter than, some other skin care compositions containing 1 wt. %retinol, even when less than 1 wt. % retinol (e.g., 0.5 wt. % retinol)was used in the combination. The combination of ingredients was alsoshown to increase anti-oxidant capacity (TEAC) in skin, increasecollagen expression in skin, increase elastin expression in skin,increase laminin expression in skin, inhibit MMP-1, inhibit MMP-3,inhibit MMP-9, inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., lipoxygenase,IL-6, Il-8, TNF-α, or VEGF), inhibit elastase expression in skin, and/orincrease fibronectin expression in skin.

Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract was shown to increase anti-oxidantcapacity by 52% in skin, inhibit MMP-1 by 98%, MMP-3 by 40%, and MMP-9by 61% in skin, inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines lipoxygenase by 54%,IL-6 by 83%, 11-8 by 98%, TNF-α by 85%, and VEGF by 50%, and inhibitelastase expression by 54% in skin. Morns alba fruit extract was shownto increase anti-oxidant capacity by 98% in skin, increase collagenexpression by 27% in skin, increase laminin expression by 14% in skin,inhibit MMP-1 by 96%, MMP-3 by 29%, and MMP-9 by 84% in skin, inhibitelastase expression by 25% in skin, and increase fibronectin expressionby 13% in skin. Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate was shown to increase collagenexpression by 50% in skin, inhibit MMP-3 by 38% and MMP-9 by 11% inskin, and inhibit IL-6 by 38%. Acmella oleracea extract was shown toincrease anti-oxidant capacity by 80% in skin, increase collagenexpression by 41% in skin, increase laminin expression by 39% in skin,inhibit MMP-9 by 80%, and inhibit lipoxygenase by 98% and IL-6 by 80%.Alpinia galanga leaf extract was shown to increase collagen expressionby 25% in skin, increase elastin expression by 43% in skin, and increaselaminin expression by 500% in skin. Argania spinosa kernel extract wasshown to increase collagen expression by 28% in skin, increase elastinexpression by 82% in skin, increase laminin expression by 135% in skin,and increase fibronectin expression by 22% in skin. Saccharide isomeratewas shown to inhibit TNF-α by 88%.

A particular composition of the present invention is designed to work asa topical composition. The composition relies on a unique combination ofany one of, any combination of, or all of Rosmarinus officianalis leafextract, Morns alba fruit extract, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol,Acmella oleracea extract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Argania spinosaoil, and/or saccharide isomerate. These combinations can be used tocreate topical compositions that reduce lines and wrinkles, even skintone, lighten skin tone, increase skin radiance, reduce photodamage,increase elasticity, increase skin barrier function, increase skinfirmness, reduce sagging skin, increase anti-oxidant capacity (TEAC) inskin, increase collagen expression in skin, increase elastin expressionin skin, increase laminin expression in skin, inhibit MMP-1, inhibitMMP-3, inhibit MMP-9, inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g.,lipoxygenase, IL-6, Il-8, TNF-α, or VEGF), inhibit elastase expressionin skin, and/or increase fibronectin expression in skin. Non-limitingexamples of such compositions are provided in Table 1 of Example 1 andTable 3 of Example 4 below.

A particular composition of the present invention is designed to work asa topical composition. The composition relies on a unique combination ofany one of, any combination of, or all of water, caprylic/caprictriglyceride, glycerin, pentylene glycol, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate,ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP copolymer, dimethicone, Arganiaspinosa kernel oil, propanediol, glyceryl oleate citrate, sodiumphytate, triethanolamine, silica, retinol, Acmella oleracea extract,Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract,Morus alba fruit extract, lactic acid, betaine, tocopheryl acetate,saccharide isomerate, polysorbate-20, polyacrylate-13, butylene glycol,polyisobutene, hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, sorbic acid, alcohol,disodium EDTA, xanthan gum, caprylyl glycol, phenoxyethanol,iodopropynyl butylcarbamate, BHT, and BHA. These combinations can beused to create topical compositions that reduce lines and wrinkles, evenskin tone, lighten skin tone, increase skin radiance, reducephotodamage, increase elasticity, increase skin barrier function,increase skin firmness, reduce sagging skin, increase anti-oxidantcapacity (TEAC) in skin, increase collagen expression in skin, increaseelastin expression in skin, increase laminin expression in skin, inhibitMMP-1, inhibit MMP-3, inhibit MMP-9, inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines(e.g., lipoxygenase, IL-6, Il-8, TNF-α, or VEGF), inhibit elastaseexpression in skin, and/or increase fibronectin expression in skin.Non-limiting examples of such compositions are provided in Table 1 ofExample 1 and Table 3 of Example 4 below.

A particular composition of the present invention is designed to work asa facial milk. The composition relies on a unique combination of any oneof, any combination of, or all of water, squalene, caprylic/caprictriglyceride, glycerin, glyceryl oleate citrate, Simmondsia chinensis(jojoba) seed oil, Cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, Carthamus tinctorius(safflower) seed oil, Olea europaea (olive) fruit oil, hydrogenatedlecithin, glycereth-2 cocoate, xanthan gum, disodium EDTA, hydroxypropylcyclodextrin, benzoic acid, ethylhexylglycerin, phenoxyethanol, andiodopropynyl butylcarbamate. These combinations can be used to createfacial milk formulations that calm, soothe, and moisturize skin.Particularly, the Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, Cocos nucifera(coconut) oil, Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, Olea europaea(olive) fruit oil, and squalene calm and soothe skin while providingimmediate moisture to skin. These components have also surprisingly beenfound to reduce the effects of retinol to irritate skin whilemaintaining the positive effects of retinol. In some instances,formulations containing these ingredients can be applied to skin before,after, or at the same time that a composition containing retinol isapplied. Non-limiting examples of such compositions are provided inTable 1 of Example 1 and Table 4 of Example 4 below.

In some instances, a topical composition as disclosed herein and afacial milk as disclosed herein can be used to provide one or moreanti-aging benefits to skin. According to some implementations, atopical skin composition as disclosed herein and a facial milk asdisclosed herein can be used in combination either by mixing orapplication at the same time, or application of the topical skincomposition followed by the facial milk. A small amount of a topicalcomposition comprising any one of, any combination of, or all ofRosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Morus alba fruit extract,tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol, Acmella oleracea extract, Alpiniagalanga leaf extract, Argania spinosa oil, and/or saccharide isomeratecan be combined with a small amount of a facial milk comprisingglycerin, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, Cocos nucifera(coconut) oil, Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, Olea europaea(olive) fruit oil, and squalene. In some implementations, the mixturecan be applied to the forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin in an upward,outward motion, avoiding the eye area. In some implementations, thetopical composition and the facial milk are mixed before application. Inyet other implementations, the topical composition and the facial milkare not mixed but are applied to the skin at the same time. In someimplementations, a small amount of a topical composition comprising anyone of, any combination of, or all of Rosmarinus officianalis leafextract, Morus alba fruit extract, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol,Acmella oleracea extract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Argania spinosaoil, and/or saccharide isomerate can be applied to the forehead, cheeks,nose, and chin and then smoothed on the entire face in an upward,outward motion, avoiding the eye area. Then, a small amount of a facialmilk comprising glycerin, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, Cocosnucifera (coconut) oil, Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, Oleaeuropaea (olive) fruit oil, and squalene can be applied to the forehead,cheeks, nose, and chin and then smoothed on the entire face in anupward, outward motion, avoiding the eye area. In some preferredimplementations, sunscreen can be used on the treated skin.

Some compositions disclosed herein can be applied to the skin and remainon the skin for a period of time (e.g., at least 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 20,30, or 60 minutes or more). After which, the composition, if needed, canbe rinsed from the skin or peeled from the skin. Some compositionsdisclosed herein can be applied to the skin and immediately rinsed fromthe skin. Some compositions disclosed herein can be applied to the skinand absorbed at least in part by the skin.

These and other non-limiting aspects of the present invention aredescribed in the following sections.

A. Active Ingredients

Rosmarinus officinalis leaf extract is an extract from the leaf ofRosmarinus officinalis. Rosmarinus officinalis is native to theMediterranean region, and is a woody, perennial herb with fragrant,evergreen, needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers.It is a shrub that can reach up to 1.5 meters in height with leaves thatare about 2 to 4 cm long with green (top surface) and white (bottomsurface) coloring. In some aspects, the Rosmarinus officinalis leafextract can be obtained from the leaf of Rosmarinus officinalis. Theleaf can be subjected to an eutectigenesis extraction process using afluid extraction mixture comprising betaine or hydrated betaine, ahydrogen bond donor compound (e.g., polyols, organic acids, etc.), andwater. In some instances, the leaf portion can be crushed or maceratedand then subjected to the aforementioned eutectic fluid extractionmixture to obtain a eutectic extract. The eutectic extract can then beused in the compositions of the present invention. In some instances,the hydrogen bond donor is an organic acid, preferably lactic acid.Eutectigenesis utilizes eutectic solvents which are mixtures ofcompounds having melting points lower than those of their constituentstaken in isolation. In some instances, Rosmarinus officinalis iscommercially available. In some instances, Rosmarinus officinalis can besupplied by Naturex (France) under the trade name ROSEMARY EUTECTYS™. Ithas been determined that an effective amount of Rosmarinus officianalisleaf extract can be used to increase anti-oxidant capacity in skin,inhibit MMP-1, MMP-3, and/or MMP-9 in skin, inhibit pro-inflammatorycytokines lipoxygenase, IL-6, Il-8, TNF-α, and/or VEGF, and/or inhibitelastase expression in skin.

Morus alba fruit extract is an extract of white mulberry fruit, a treenative to northern China. In some instances, Morus alba fruit extract iscommercially available from Naturex, which supplies Morus alba fruitextract under the trade name DERMOFEEL® ENLIGHT. In some instances, theextract is a glycerol/water extract. In some instances, the extractionof the fruits of Morus alba can be harvested under organic conditionswithout the use of alcohol by using an organic glycerol/water mix as theextraction solvent. It has been determined that this ingredient can beused to increase anti-oxidant capacity in skin, increase collagenexpression in skin, increase laminin expression in skin, inhibit MMP-1,MMP-3, and/or MMP-9 in skin, inhibit elastase expression in skin, and/orincrease fibronectin expression in skin.

Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, also known as ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate, isa vitamin C derivative that functions as an antioxidant and skinconditioner agent. In some instances, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate iscommercially available from Barnet, which supplies tetrahexyldecylascorbate under the trade name BV-OSC™. It has been determined that thisingredient can be used to increase collagen expression in skin, inhibitMMP-3 and/or MMP-9 in skin, and/or inhibit IL-6.

Retinol, also known as Vitamin Ai, plays an essential role in the healthof skin and mucous membranes. It can be used for treatment of acne andkeratosis pilaris in topical compositions. It has been determined thatan effective amount of retinol can be used to reduce and/or fade darkspots in skin, reduce skin discoloration, and/or reduce fine lines andwrinkles.

Acmella oleracea extract is an extract from the Acmella oleracea plant.Acmella oleracea can be found in South America, Madagascar, and theMascarene Islands. In some aspects, the Acmella oleracea extract is fromthe combination of the flower, leaf, and stem portions of Acmellaoleracea. These portions can be combined and then crushed or maceratedor crushed or macerated and then combined. The resulting crushed ormacerated flower/leaf/stem material can then be subjected to ahydro-alcoholic (preferably hydro-ethanolic) extraction process or ahydro-alcohol-polyol extraction process. The polyol in some instancescan be 1,3-propanediol. The alcohol can be removed from the resultingextract. The Acemella oleracea extract can be then be used in thecompositions of the present invention. In some instances, the Acemellaoleracea flower/leaf/stem extract can be obtained from ahydro-ethanol-1,3-propanediol solvent mixture. The resulting extract canthen be used in the compositions of the present invention or can befurther processed to remove the ethanol and can then be used in thecompositions of the present invention. Alternatively, the extractingsolvent can be a combination of water and polyol, preferably1,3-propanediol, without an alcohol. The amounts of water, alcohol,and/or polyol present in the reaction mixture can be modified asdesired. In some instances, Acmella oleracea extract is commerciallyavailable. In some instances, Acmella oleracea extract can be suppliedby Gattefossé (France) under the trade name GATULINE® EXPRESSION AF. Ithas been determined that an effective amount of Acmella oleracea extractcan be used to increase anti-oxidant capacity in skin, increase collagenexpression in skin, increase laminin expression in skin, inhibit MMP-9,and/or inhibit lipoxygenase and/or IL-6.

Alpinia galanga leaf extract is from the leaf of Alpinia galangal, alsoknown as “galangal,” “greater galangal,” “Java galangal,” or “Siameseginger.” In some instances, Alpinia galanga leaf extract is an aqueousextract. In some instances, this ingredient is commercially availablefrom BASF Care Creations, which supplies Alpinia galanga leaf extractunder the trade name Hyalufix™. It has been determined that an effectiveamount of Alpinia galanga leaf extract can be used to increase collagenexpression in skin, increase elastin expression in skin, and/or increaselaminin expression in skin.

Argania spinosa kernel extract is an extraction from the kernel of theArgan tree, which is native to the Mediterranean region. In someinstances, Argania spinosa kernel extract is commercially available fromBASF, which supplies Argania spinosa kernel extract under the trade nameLipofructyl Argan BHT™. The extract is an oil-based protein hydrosylateextract from oil cakes. It has been determined that this ingredient canbe used to increase collagen expression in skin, increase elastinexpression in skin, increase laminin expression in skin, and/or increasefibronectin expression in skin.

Saccharide isomerate is an exopolysaccharide, which can be synthesizedby a microorganism called Vibrio alginolyticus, belonging to the familyof Thalasso plankton. In some instances, this ingredient is commerciallyavailable from Barnet products, which supplies saccharide isomerateunder the trade name Benoiderm™. In some instances, this ingredient iscommercially available under the trade name Benoitine™, also supplied byBarnet products. It has been determined that an effective amount ofsaccharide isomerate can be used to inhibit TNF-α.

This combination of ingredients can be used in different product formsto treat various skin conditions. By way of non-limiting examples, thecombination of ingredients can be formulated in an emulsion (e.g., oilin water, water in oil), a gel, a serum, a gel emulsion, a gel serum, alotion, a mask, a scrub, a wash, a cream, or a body butter.

The extracts described herein can be extracts made through extractionmethods known in the art and combinations thereof. Non-limiting examplesof extraction methods include the use of liquid-liquid extraction, solidphase extraction, aqueous extraction, ethyl acetate, alcohol, acetone,oil, supercritical carbon dioxide, heat, pressure, pressure dropextraction, ultrasonic extraction, etc. Extracts can be a liquid, solid,dried liquid, re-suspended solid, etc.

B. Amounts of Ingredients

It is contemplated that the compositions of the present invention caninclude any amount of the ingredients discussed in this specification.The compositions can also include any number of combinations ofadditional ingredients described throughout this specification (e.g.,pigments, or additional cosmetic or pharmaceutical ingredients). Theconcentrations of the any ingredient within the compositions can vary.In non-limiting embodiments, for example, the compositions can comprise,consisting essentially of, or consist of, in their final form, forexample, at least about 0.0001%, 0.0002%, 0.0003%, 0.0004%, 0.0005%,0.0006%, 0.0007%, 0.0008%, 0.0009%, 0.0010%, 0.0011%, 0.0012%, 0.0013%,0.0014%, 0.0015%, 0.0016%, 0.0017%, 0.0018%, 0.0019%, 0.0020%, 0.0021%,0.0022%, 0.0023%, 0.0024%, 0.0025%, 0.0026%, 0.0027%, 0.0028%, 0.0029%,0.0030%, 0.0031%, 0.0032%, 0.0033%, 0.0034%, 0.0035%, 0.0036%, 0.0037%,0.0038%, 0.0039%, 0.0040%, 0.0041%, 0.0042%, 0.0043%, 0.0044%, 0.0045%,0.0046%, 0.0047%, 0.0048%, 0.0049%, 0.0050%, 0.0051%, 0.0052%, 0.0053%,0.0054%, 0.0055%, 0.0056%, 0.0057%, 0.0058%, 0.0059%, 0.0060%, 0.0061%,0.0062%, 0.0063%, 0.0064%, 0.0065%, 0.0066%, 0.0067%, 0.0068%, 0.0069%,0.0070%, 0.0071%, 0.0072%, 0.0073%, 0.0074%, 0.0075%, 0.0076%, 0.0077%,0.0078%, 0.0079%, 0.0080%, 0.0081%, 0.0082%, 0.0083%, 0.0084%, 0.0085%,0.0086%, 0.0087%, 0.0088%, 0.0089%, 0.0090%, 0.0091%, 0.0092%, 0.0093%,0.0094%, 0.0095%, 0.0096%, 0.0097%, 0.0098%, 0.0099%, 0.0100%, 0.0200%,0.0250%, 0.0275%, 0.0300%, 0.0325%, 0.0350%, 0.0375%, 0.0400%, 0.0425%,0.0450%, 0.0475%, 0.0500%, 0.0525%, 0.0550%, 0.0575%, 0.0600%, 0.0625%,0.0650%, 0.0675%, 0.0700%, 0.0725%, 0.0750%, 0.0775%, 0.0800%, 0.0825%,0.0850%, 0.0875%, 0.0900%, 0.0925%, 0.0950%, 0.0975%, 0.1000%, 0.1250%,0.1500%, 0.1750%, 0.2000%, 0.2250%, 0.2500%, 0.2750%, 0.3000%, 0.3250%,0.3500%, 0.3750%, 0.4000%, 0.4250%, 0.4500%, 0.4750%, 0.5000%, 0.5250%,0.0550%, 0.5750%, 0.6000%, 0.6250%, 0.6500%, 0.6750%, 0.7000%, 0.7250%,0.7500%, 0.7750%, 0.8000%, 0.8250%, 0.8500%, 0.8750%, 0.9000%, 0.9250%,0.9500%, 0.9750%, 1.0%, 1.1%, 1.2%, 1.3%, 1.4%, 1.5%, 1.6%, 1.7%, 1.8%,1.9%, 2.0%, 2.1%, 2.2%, 2.3%, 2.4%, 2.5%, 2.6%, 2.7%, 2.8%, 2.9%, 3.0%,3.1%, 3.2%, 3.3%, 3.4%, 3.5%, 3.6%, 3.7%, 3.8%, 3.9%, 4.0%, 4.1%, 4.2%,4.3%, 4.4%, 4.5%, 4.6%, 4.7%, 4.8%, 4.9%, 5.0%, 5.1%, 5.2%, 5.3%, 5.4%,5.5%, 5.6%, 5.7%, 5.8%, 5.9%, 6.0%, 6.1%, 6.2%, 6.3%, 6.4%, 6.5%, 6.6%,6.7%, 6.8%, 6.9%, 7.0%, 7.1%, 7.2%, 7.3%, 7.4%, 7.5%, 7.6%, 7.7%, 7.8%,7.9%, 8.0%, 8.1%, 8.2%, 8.3%, 8.4%, 8.5%, 8.6%, 8.7%, 8.8%, 8.9%, 9.0%,9.1%, 9.2%, 9.3%, 9.4%, 9.5%, 9.6%, 9.7%, 9.8%, 9.9%, 10%, 11%, 12%,13%, 14%, 15%, 16%, 17%, 18%, 19%, 20%, 21%, 22%, 23%, 24%, 25%, 26%,27%, 28%, 29%, 30%, 35%, 40%, 45%, 50%, 60%, 65%, 70%, 75%, 80%, 85%,90%, 95%, or 99% or any range derivable therein, of at least one of theingredients that are mentioned throughout the specification and claims.In non-limiting aspects, the percentage can be calculated by weight orvolume of the total composition. A person of ordinary skill in the artwould understand that the concentrations can vary depending on theaddition, substitution, and/or subtraction of ingredients in a givencomposition.

C. Vehicles

The compositions of the present invention can include or be incorporatedinto all types of vehicles and carriers. The vehicle or carrier can be apharmaceutically or dermatologically acceptable vehicle or carrier.Non-limiting examples of vehicles or carriers include water, glycerin,alcohol, oil, a silicon containing compound, a silicone compound, andwax. Variations and other appropriate vehicles will be apparent to theskilled artisan and are appropriate for use in the present invention. Incertain aspects, the concentrations and combinations of the compounds,ingredients, and agents can be selected in such a way that thecombinations are chemically compatible and do not form complexes whichprecipitate from the finished product.

D. Structure

The compositions of the present invention can be structured orformulated into a variety of different forms. Non-limiting examplesinclude emulsions (e.g., water-in-oil, water-in-oil-in-water,oil-in-water, silicone-in-water, water-in-silicone, oil-in-water-in-oil,oil-in-water-in-silicone emulsions), creams, lotions, solutions (bothaqueous and hydro-alcoholic), anhydrous bases (such as lipsticks andpowders), gels, masks, scrubs, body butters, peels, and ointments.Variations and other structures will be apparent to the skilled artisanand are appropriate for use in the present invention.

E. Additional Ingredients

In addition to the combination of ingredients disclosed by theinventors, the compositions can also include additional ingredients suchas cosmetic ingredients and pharmaceutical active ingredients.Non-limiting examples of these additional ingredients are described inthe following subsections.

1. Cosmetic Ingredients

The CTFA International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook (2004and 2008) describes a wide variety of non-limiting cosmetic ingredientsthat can be used in the context of the present invention. Examples ofthese ingredient classes include: fragrance agents (artificial andnatural; e.g., gluconic acid, phenoxyethanol, and triethanolamine), dyesand color ingredients (e.g., Blue 1, Blue 1 Lake, Red 40, titaniumdioxide, D&C blue no. 4, D&C green no. 5, D&C orange no. 4, D&C red no.17, D&C red no. 33, D&C violet no. 2, D&C yellow no. 10, and D&C yellowno. 11), flavoring agents/aroma agents (e.g., Stevia rebaudiana(sweetleaf) extract, and menthol), adsorbents, lubricants, solvents,moisturizers (including, e.g., emollients, humectants, film formers,occlusive agents, and agents that affect the natural moisturizationmechanisms of the skin), water-repellants, UV absorbers (physical andchemical absorbers such as para-aminobenzoic acid (“PABA”) andcorresponding PABA derivatives, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, etc.),essential oils, vitamins (e.g., A, B, C, D, E, and K), trace metals(e.g., zinc, calcium and selenium), anti-irritants (e.g., steroids andnon-steroidal anti-inflammatories), botanical extracts (e.g., Aloe vera,chamomile, cucumber extract, Ginkgo biloba, ginseng, and rosemary),anti-microbial agents, antioxidants (e.g., BHT and tocopherol),chelating agents (e.g., disodium EDTA and tetrasodium EDTA),preservatives (e.g., methylparaben and propylparaben), pH adjusters(e.g., sodium hydroxide and citric acid), absorbents (e.g., aluminumstarch octenylsuccinate, kaolin, corn starch, oat starch, cyclodextrin,talc, and zeolite), skin bleaching and lightening agents (e.g.,hydroquinone and niacinamide lactate), humectants (e.g., sorbitol, urea,methyl gluceth-20, saccharide isomerate, and mannitol), exfoliants,waterproofing agents (e.g., magnesium/aluminum hydroxide stearate), skinconditioning agents (e.g., aloe extracts, allantoin, bisabolol,ceramides, dimethicone, hyaluronic acid, biosaccharide gum-1,ethylhexylglycerin, pentylene glycol, hydrogenated polydecene,octyldodecyl oleate, gluconolactone, calcium gluconate,cyclohexasiloxane, and dipotassium glycyrrhizate). Non-limiting examplesof some of these ingredients are provided in the following subsections.

a. UV Absorption and/or Reflecting Agents

UV absorption and/or reflecting agents that can be used in combinationwith the compositions of the present invention include chemical andphysical sunblocks. Non-limiting examples of chemical sunblocks that canbe used include para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), PABA esters (glycerylPABA, amyldimethyl PABA and octyldimethyl PABA), butyl PABA, ethyl PABA,ethyl dihydroxypropyl PABA, benzophenones (oxybenzone, sulisobenzone,benzophenone, and benzophenone-1 through 12), cinnamates (octylmethoxycinnamate (octinoxate), isoamyl p-methoxycinnamate, octylmethoxycinnamate, cinoxate, diisopropyl methyl cinnamate, DEA-methoxycinnamate,ethyl diisopropylcinnamate, glyceryl octanoate dimethoxycinnamate andethyl methoxycinnamate), cinnamate esters, salicylates (homomethylsalicylate, benzyl salicylate, glycol salicylate, isopropylbenzylsalicylate, etc.), anthranilates, ethyl urocanate, homosalate,octisalate, dibenzoylmethane derivatives (e.g., avobenzone),octocrylene, octyl triazone, digalloyl trioleate, glycerylaminobenzoate, lawsone with dihydroxyacetone, ethylhexyl triazone,dioctyl butamido triazone, benzylidene malonate polysiloxane,terephthalylidene dicamphor sulfonic acid, disodium phenyldibenzimidazole tetrasulfonate, diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexylbenzoate, bis diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl benzoate, bisbenzoxazoylphenyl ethylhexylimino triazine, drometrizole trisiloxane,methylene bis-benzotriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol, andbis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyltriazine, 4-methylbenzylidenecamphor, and isopentyl 4-methoxycinnamate. Non-limiting examples ofphysical sunblocks include, kaolin, talc, petrolatum and metal oxides(e.g., titanium dioxide and zinc oxide).

b. Moisturizing Agents

Non-limiting examples of moisturizing agents that can be used with thecompositions of the present invention include amino acids, chondroitinsulfate, diglycerin, erythritol, fructose, glucose, glycerin, glycerolpolymers, glycol, 1,2,6-hexanetriol, honey, hyaluronic acid,hydrogenated honey, hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, inositol, lactitol,maltitol, maltose, mannitol, natural moisturizing factor, PEG-15butanediol, polyglyceryl sorbitol, salts of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid,potassium PCA, propylene glycol, saccharide isomerate, sodiumglucuronate, sodium PCA, sorbitol, sucrose, trehalose, urea, andxylitol.

Other examples include acetylated lanolin, acetylated lanolin alcohol,alanine, algae extract, Aloe barbadensis, Aloe barbadensis extract, Aloebarbadensis gel, Althea officinalis extract, apricot (Prunus armeniaca)kernel oil, arginine, arginine aspartate, Arnica montana extract,aspartic acid, avocado (Persea gratissima) oil, barrier sphingolipids,butyl alcohol, beeswax, behenyl alcohol, beta-sitosterol, birch (Betulaalba) bark extract, borage (Borago officinalis) extract, butcherbroom(Ruscus aculeatus) extract, butylene glycol, Calendula officinalisextract, Calendula officinalis oil, candelilla (Euphorbia cerifera) wax,canola oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, cardamom (Elettariacardamomum) oil, carnauba (Copernicia cerifera) wax, carrot (Daucuscarota sativa) oil, castor (Ricinus communis) oil, ceramides, ceresin,ceteareth-5, ceteareth-12, ceteareth-20, cetearyl octanoate, ceteth-20,ceteth-24, cetyl acetate, cetyl octanoate, cetyl palmitate, chamomile(Anthemis nobilis) oil, cholesterol, cholesterol esters, cholesterylhydroxystearate, citric acid, clary (Salvia sclarea) oil, cocoa(Theobroma cacao) butter, coco-caprylate/caprate, coconut (Cocosnucifera) oil, collagen, collagen amino acids, corn (Zea mays) oil,fatty acids, decyl oleate, dimethicone copolyol, dimethiconol, dioctyladipate, dioctyl succinate, dipentaerythrityl hexacaprylate/hexacaprate,DNA, erythritol, ethoxydiglycol, ethyl linoleate, Eucalyptus globulusoil, evening primrose (Oenothera biennis) oil, fatty acids, Geraniummaculatum oil, glucosamine, glucose glutamate, glutamic acid,glycereth-26, glycerin, glycerol, glyceryl distearate, glycerylhydroxystearate, glyceryl laurate, glyceryl linoleate, glycerylmyristate, glyceryl oleate, glyceryl stearate, glyceryl stearate SE,glycine, glycol stearate, glycol stearate SE, glycosaminoglycans, grape(Vitis vinifera) seed oil, hazel (Corylus americana) nut oil, hazel(Corylus avellana) nut oil, hexylene glycol, hyaluronic acid, hybridsafflower (Carthamus tinctorius) oil, hydrogenated castor oil,hydrogenated coco-glycerides, hydrogenated coconut oil, hydrogenatedlanolin, hydrogenated lecithin, hydrogenated palm glyceride,hydrogenated palm kernel oil, hydrogenated soybean oil, hydrogenatedtallow glyceride, hydrogenated vegetable oil, hydrolyzed collagen,hydrolyzed elastin, hydrolyzed glycosaminoglycans, hydrolyzed keratin,hydrolyzed soy protein, hydroxylated lanolin, hydroxyproline, isocetylstearate, isocetyl stearoyl stearate, isodecyl oleate, isopropylisostearate, isopropyl lanolate, isopropyl myristate, isopropylpalmitate, isopropyl stearate, isostearamide DEA, isostearic acid,isostearyl lactate, isostearyl neopentanoate, jasmine (Jasminumofficinale) oil, jojoba (Buxus chinensis) oil, kelp, kukui (Aleuritesmoluccana) nut oil, lactamide MEA, laneth-16, laneth-10 acetate,lanolin, lanolin acid, lanolin alcohol, lanolin oil, lanolin wax,lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) oil, lecithin, lemon (Citrus medicalimonum) oil, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, Macadamia ternifolia nutoil, maltitol, matricaria (Chamomilla recutita) oil, methyl glucosesesquistearate, methyl silanol PCA, mineral oil, mink oil, mortierellaoil, myristyl lactate, myristyl myristate, myristyl propionate,neopentyl glycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, octyldodecanol, octyldodecylmyristate, octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate, octyl hydroxystearate, octylpalmitate, octyl salicylate, octyl stearate, oleic acid, olive (Oleaeuropaea) oil, orange (Citrus aurantium dulcis) oil, palm (Elaeisguineensis) oil, palmitic acid, pantethine, panthenol, panthenyl ethylether, paraffin, PCA, peach (Prunus persica) kernel oil, peanut (Arachishypogaea) oil, PEG-8 C12-18 ester, PEG-15 cocamine, PEG-150 distearate,PEG-60 glyceryl isostearate, PEG-5 glyceryl stearate, PEG-30 glycerylstearate, PEG-7 hydrogenated castor oil, PEG-40 hydrogenated castor oil,PEG-60 hydrogenated castor oil, PEG-20 methyl glucose sesquistearate,PEG-40 sorbitan peroleate, PEG-5 soy sterol, PEG-10 soy sterol, PEG-2stearate, PEG-8 stearate, PEG-20 stearate, PEG-32 stearate, PEG-40stearate, PEG-50 stearate, PEG-100 stearate, PEG-150 stearate,pentadecalactone, peppermint (Mentha piperita) oil, petrolatum,phospholipids, plankton extract, polyamino sugar condensate,polyglyceryl-3 diisostearate, polyquaternium-24, polysorbate 20,polysorbate 40, polysorbate 60, polysorbate 80, polysorbate 85,potassium myristate, potassium palmitate, propylene glycol, propyleneglycol dicaprylate/dicaprate, propylene glycol dioctanoate, propyleneglycol dipelargonate, propylene glycol laurate, propylene glycolstearate, propylene glycol stearate SE, PVP, pyridoxine dipalmitate,retinol, retinyl palmitate, rice (Oryza sativa) bran oil, RNA, rosemary(Rosmarinus officinalis) oil, rose oil, safflower (Carthamus tinctorius)oil, sage (Salvia officinalis) oil, sandalwood (Santalum album) oil,serine, serum protein, sesame (Sesamum indicum) oil, shea butter(Butyrospermum parkii), silk powder, sodium chondroitin sulfate, sodiumhyaluronate, sodium lactate, sodium palmitate, sodium PCA, sodiumpolyglutamate, soluble collagen, sorbitan laurate, sorbitan oleate,sorbitan palmitate, sorbitan sesquioleate, sorbitan stearate, sorbitol,soybean (Glycine soja) oil, sphingolipids, squalane, squalene,stearamide MEA-stearate, stearic acid, stearoxy dimethicone,stearoxytrimethylsilane, stearyl alcohol, stearyl glycyrrhetinate,stearyl heptanoate, stearyl stearate, sunflower (Helianthus annuus) seedoil, sweet almond (Prunus amygdalus dulcis) oil, synthetic beeswax,tocopherol, tocopheryl acetate, tocopheryl linoleate, tribehenin,tridecyl neopentanoate, tridecyl stearate, triethanolamine, tristearin,urea, vegetable oil, water, waxes, wheat (Triticum vulgare) germ oil,and ylang ylang (Cananga odorata) oil.

c. Antioxidants

Non-limiting examples of antioxidants that can be used with thecompositions of the present invention include acetyl cysteine, ascorbicacid polypeptide, ascorbyl dipalmitate, ascorbyl methylsilanolpectinate, ascorbyl palmitate, ascorbyl stearate, BHA, BHT, t-butylhydroquinone, cysteine, cysteine HCl, diamylhydroquinone,di-t-butylhydroquinone, dicetyl thiodipropionate, dioleyl tocopherylmethylsilanol, disodium ascorbyl sulfate, distearyl thiodipropionate,ditridecyl thiodipropionate, dodecyl gallate, erythorbic acid, esters ofascorbic acid, ethyl ferulate, ferulic acid, gallic acid esters,hydroquinone, isooctyl thioglycolate, kojic acid, magnesium ascorbate,magnesium ascorbyl phosphate, methylsilanol ascorbate, natural botanicalanti-oxidants such as green tea or grape seed extracts,nordihydroguaiaretic acid, octyl gallate, phenylthioglycolic acid,potassium ascorbyl tocopheryl phosphate, potassium sulfite, propylgallate, quinones, rosmarinic acid, sodium ascorbate, sodium bisulfite,sodium erythorbate, sodium metabisulfite, sodium sulfite, superoxidedismutase, sodium thioglycolate, sorbityl furfural, thiodiglycol,thiodiglycolamide, thiodiglycolic acid, thioglycolic acid, thiolacticacid, thiosalicylic acid, tocophereth-5, tocophereth-10, tocophereth-12,tocophereth-18, tocophereth-50, tocopherol, tocophersolan, tocopherylacetate, tocopheryl linoleate, tocopheryl nicotinate, tocopherylsuccinate, and tris(nonylphenyl)phosphite.

d. Structuring Agents

In other non-limiting aspects, the compositions of the present inventioncan include a structuring agent. Structuring agent, in certain aspects,assist in providing rheological characteristics to the composition tocontribute to the composition's stability. In other aspects, structuringagents can also function as an emulsifier or surfactant. Non-limitingexamples of structuring agents include sodium cocoyl glutamate,hydroxypropyl cyclodextrin, stearic acid, palmitic acid, stearylalcohol, cetyl alcohol, behenyl alcohol, stearic acid, palmitic acid,the polyethylene glycol ether of stearyl alcohol having an average ofabout 1 to about 21 ethylene oxide units, the polyethylene glycol etherof cetyl alcohol having an average of about 1 to about 5 ethylene oxideunits, and mixtures thereof.

e. Emulsifiers

In certain aspects of the present invention, the compositions do notinclude an emulsifier. In other aspects, however, the compositions caninclude one or more emulsifiers. Emulsifiers can reduce the interfacialtension between phases and improve the formulation and stability of anemulsion. The emulsifiers can be nonionic, cationic, anionic, andzwitterionic emulsifiers (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,011,681; 4,421,769;3,755,560). Non-limiting examples include esters of glycerin, esters ofpropylene glycol, fatty acid esters of polyethylene glycol, fatty acidesters of polypropylene glycol, esters of sorbitol, esters of sorbitananhydrides, carboxylic acid copolymers, esters and ethers of glucose,ethoxylated ethers, ethoxylated alcohols, alkyl phosphates,polyoxyethylene fatty ether phosphates, fatty acid amides, acyllactylates, soaps, TEA stearate, DEA oleth-3 phosphate, polyethyleneglycol 20 sorbitan monolaurate (polysorbate 20), polyethylene glycol 5soya sterol, steareth-2, steareth-20, steareth-21, ceteareth-20,cetearyl glucoside, cetearyl alcohol, C12-13 pareth-3, PPG-2 methylglucose ether distearate, PPG-5-ceteth-20, bis-PEG/PPG-20/20dimethicone, ceteth-10, polysorbate 80, cetyl phosphate, potassium cetylphosphate, diethanolamine cetyl phosphate, polysorbate 60, glycerylstearate, PEG-100 stearate, arachidyl alcohol, arachidyl glucoside, andmixtures thereof.

f. Silicone Containing Compounds

In non-limiting aspects, silicone containing compounds include anymember of a family of polymeric products whose molecular backbone ismade up of alternating silicon and oxygen atoms with side groupsattached to the silicon atoms. By varying the —Si—O— chain lengths, sidegroups, and crosslinking, silicones can be synthesized into a widevariety of materials. They can vary in consistency from liquid to gel tosolids.

The silicone containing compounds that can be used in the context of thepresent invention include those described in this specification or thoseknown to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Non-limiting examplesinclude silicone oils (e.g., volatile and non-volatile oils), gels, andsolids. In certain aspects, the silicon containing compounds includes asilicone oils such as a polyorganosiloxane. Non-limiting examples ofpolyorganosiloxanes include dimethicone, cyclomethicone,cyclohexasiloxane, polysilicone-11, phenyl trimethicone,trimethylsilylamodimethicone, stearoxytrimethylsilane, or mixtures ofthese and other organosiloxane materials in any given ratio in order toachieve the desired consistency and application characteristicsdepending upon the intended application (e.g., to a particular area suchas the skin, hair, or eyes). A “volatile silicone oil” includes asilicone oil have a low heat of vaporization, i.e., normally less thanabout 50 cal per gram of silicone oil. Non-limiting examples of volatilesilicone oils include: cyclomethicones such as Dow Corning 344 Fluid,Dow Corning 345 Fluid, Dow Corning 244 Fluid, and Dow Corning 245 Fluid,Volatile Silicon 7207 (Union Carbide Corp., Danbury, Conn.); lowviscosity dimethicones, i.e., dimethicones having a viscosity of about50 cst or less (e.g., dimethicones such as Dow Corning 200-0.5 cstFluid). The Dow Corning Fluids are available from Dow CorningCorporation, Midland, Mich.

Cyclomethicone and dimethicone are described in the Third Edition of theCTFA Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary (incorporated by reference) ascyclic dimethyl polysiloxane compounds and a mixture of fully methylatedlinear siloxane polymers end-blocked with trimethylsiloxy units,respectively. Other non-limiting volatile silicone oils that can be usedin the context of the present invention include those available fromGeneral Electric Co., Silicone Products Div., Waterford, N.Y. and SWSSilicones Div. of Stauffer Chemical Co., Adrian, Mich.

g. Exfoliating Agent

Exfoliating agents include ingredients that remove dead skin cells onthe skin's outer surface. These agents may act through mechanical,chemical, and/or other means. Non-limiting examples of mechanicalexfoliating agents include abrasives such as pumice, silica, cloth,paper, shells, beads, solid crystals, solid polymers, etc. Non-limitingexamples of chemical exfoliating agents include acids and enzymeexfoliants. Acids that can be used as exfoliating agents include, butare not limited to, glycolic acid, lactic acid, citric acid, a hydroxyacids, beta hydroxy acids, etc. Other exfoliating agents known to thoseof skill in the art are also contemplated as being useful within thecontext of the present invention.

h. Essential Oils

Essential oils include oils derived from herbs, flowers, trees, andother plants. Such oils are typically present as tiny droplets betweenthe plant's cells, and can be extracted by several method known to thoseof skill in the art (e.g., steam distilled, enfleurage (i.e., extractionby using fat), maceration, solvent extraction, or mechanical pressing).When these types of oils are exposed to air they tend to evaporate(i.e., a volatile oil). As a result, many essential oils are colorless,but with age they can oxidize and become darker. Essential oils areinsoluble in water and are soluble in alcohol, ether, fixed oils(vegetal), and other organic solvents. Typical physical characteristicsfound in essential oils include boiling points that vary from about 160°to 240° C. and densities ranging from about 0.759 to about 1.096.

Essential oils typically are named by the plant from which the oil isfound. For example, rose oil or peppermint oil are derived from rose orpeppermint plants, respectively. Non-limiting examples of essential oilsthat can be used in the context of the present invention include sesameoil, macadamia nut oil, tea tree oil, evening primrose oil, Spanish sageoil, Spanish rosemary oil, coriander oil, thyme oil, pimento berriesoil, rose oil, anise oil, balsam oil, bergamot oil, rosewood oil, cedaroil, chamomile oil, sage oil, clary sage oil, clove oil, cypress oil,eucalyptus oil, fennel oil, sea fennel oil, frankincense oil, geraniumoil, ginger oil, grapefruit oil, jasmine oil, juniper oil, lavender oil,lemon oil, lemongrass oil, lime oil, mandarin oil, marjoram oil, myrrhoil, neroli oil, orange oil, patchouli oil, pepper oil, black pepperoil, petitgrain oil, pine oil, rose otto oil, rosemary oil, sandalwoodoil, spearmint oil, spikenard oil, vetiver oil, wintergreen oil, orylang ylang. Other essential oils known to those of skill in the art arealso contemplated as being useful within the context of the presentinvention.

i. Thickening Agents

Thickening agents, including thickener or gelling agents, includesubstances which that can increase the viscosity of a composition.Thickeners includes those that can increase the viscosity of acomposition without substantially modifying the efficacy of the activeingredient within the composition. Thickeners can also increase thestability of the compositions of the present invention. In certainaspects of the present invention, thickeners include hydrogenatedpolyisobutene, trihydroxystearin, ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/VPcopolymer, or a mixture of them.

Non-limiting examples of additional thickening agents that can be usedin the context of the present invention include carboxylic acidpolymers, crosslinked polyacrylate polymers, polyacrylamide polymers,polysaccharides, and gums. Examples of carboxylic acid polymers includecrosslinked compounds containing one or more monomers derived fromacrylic acid, substituted acrylic acids, and salts and esters of theseacrylic acids and the substituted acrylic acids, wherein thecrosslinking agent contains two or more carbon-carbon double bonds andis derived from a polyhydric alcohol (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,087,445;4,509,949; 2,798,053; CTFA International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary,Fourth edition, 1991, pp. 12 and 80). Examples of commercially availablecarboxylic acid polymers include carbomers, which are homopolymers ofacrylic acid crosslinked with allyl ethers of sucrose or pentaerytritol(e.g., CARBOPOL™ 900 series from B. F. Goodrich).

Non-limiting examples of crosslinked polyacrylate polymers includecationic and nonionic polymers. Examples are described in U.S. Pat. Nos.5,100,660; 4,849,484; 4,835,206; 4,628,078; 4,599,379).

Non-limiting examples of polyacrylamide polymers (including nonionicpolyacrylamide polymers including substituted branched or unbranchedpolymers) include polyacrylamide, isoparaffin and laureth-7, multi-blockcopolymers of acrylamides and substituted acrylamides with acrylic acidsand substituted acrylic acids.

Non-limiting examples of polysaccharides include cellulose,carboxymethyl hydroxyethylcellulose, cellulose acetate propionatecarboxylate, hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxyethyl ethylcellulose,hydroxypropylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, methylhydroxyethylcellulose, microcrystalline cellulose, sodium cellulosesulfate, and mixtures thereof. Another example is an alkyl substitutedcellulose where the hydroxy groups of the cellulose polymer ishydroxyalkylated (preferably hydroxy ethylated or hydroxypropylated) toform a hydroxyalkylated cellulose which is then further modified with aC10-C30 straight chain or branched chain alkyl group through an etherlinkage. Typically these polymers are ethers of C10-C30 straight orbranched chain alcohols with hydroxyalkylcelluloses. Other usefulpolysaccharides include scleroglucans comprising a linear chain of (1-3)linked glucose units with a (1-6) linked glucose every three unit.

Non-limiting examples of gums that can be used with the presentinvention include acacia, agar, algin, alginic acid, ammonium alginate,amylopectin, calcium alginate, calcium carrageenan, carnitine,carrageenan, dextrin, gelatin, gellan gum, guar gum, guarhydroxypropyltrimonium chloride, hectorite, hyaluronic acid, hydratedsilica, hydroxypropyl chitosan, hydroxypropyl guar, karaya gum, kelp,locust bean gum, natto gum, potassium alginate, potassium carrageenan,propylene glycol alginate, sclerotium gum, sodium carboxymethyl dextran,sodium carrageenan, tragacanth gum, xanthan gum, and mixtures thereof.

j. Preservatives

Non-limiting examples of preservatives that can be used in the contextof the present invention include quaternary ammonium preservatives suchas polyquaternium-1 and benzalkonium halides (e.g., benzalkoniumchloride (“BAC”) and benzalkonium bromide), parabens (e.g.,methylparabens and propylparabens), phenoxyethanol, benzyl alcohol,chlorobutanol, phenol, sorbic acid, thimerosal or combinations thereof

2. Pharmaceutical Ingredients

Pharmaceutical active agents are also contemplated as being useful withthe compositions of the present invention. Non-limiting examples ofpharmaceutical active agents include anti-acne agents, agents used totreat rosacea, analgesics, anesthetics, anorectals, antihistamines,anti-inflammatory agents including non-steroidal anti-inflammatorydrugs, antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, antimicrobials, anti-canceractives, scabicides, pediculicides, antineoplastics, antiperspirants,antipruritics, antipsoriatic agents, antiseborrheic agents, biologicallyactive proteins and peptides, burn treatment agents, cauterizing agents,depigmenting agents, depilatories, diaper rash treatment agents,enzymes, hair growth stimulants, hair growth retardants including DFMOand its salts and analogs, hemostatics, kerotolytics, canker soretreatment agents, cold sore treatment agents, dental and periodontaltreatment agents, photosensitizing actives, skin protectant/barrieragents, steroids including hormones and corticosteroids, sunburntreatment agents, sunscreens, transdermal actives, nasal actives,vaginal actives, wart treatment agents, wound treatment agents, woundhealing agents, etc.

F. Kits

Kits are also contemplated as being used in certain aspects of thepresent invention. For instance, compositions of the present inventioncan be included in a kit. A kit can include a container. Containers caninclude a bottle, a metal tube, a laminate tube, a plastic tube, adispenser, a pressurized container, a barrier container, a package, acompartment, a lipstick container, a compact container, cosmetic pansthat can hold cosmetic compositions, or other types of containers suchas injection or blow-molded plastic containers into which thedispersions or compositions or desired bottles, dispensers, or packagesare retained. The kit and/or container can include indicia on itssurface. The indicia, for example, can be a word, a phrase, anabbreviation, a picture, or a symbol.

The containers can dispense a pre-determined amount of the composition.In other embodiments, the container can be squeezed (e.g., metal,laminate, or plastic tube) to dispense a desired amount of thecomposition. The composition can be dispensed as a spray, an aerosol, aliquid, a fluid, or a semi-solid. The containers can have spray, pump,or squeeze mechanisms. A kit can also include instructions for employingthe kit components as well the use of any other compositions included inthe container. Instructions can include an explanation of how to apply,use, and maintain the compositions.

EXAMPLES

The following examples are included to demonstrate preferred embodimentsof the invention. It should be appreciated by those of skill in the artthat the techniques disclosed in the examples which follow representtechniques discovered by the inventor to function well in the practiceof the invention, and thus can be considered to constitute preferredmodes for its practice. However, those of skill in the art should, inlight of the present disclosure, appreciate that many changes can bemade in the specific embodiments which are disclosed and still obtain alike or similar result without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

All of the compositions and methods disclosed and claimed herein can bemade and executed without undue experimentation in light of the presentdisclosure. While the compositions and methods of this invention havebeen described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will be apparent tothose of skill in the art that variations may be applied to thecompositions and methods and in the steps or in the sequence of steps ofthe method described herein without departing from the concept, spirit,and scope of the invention. More specifically, it will be apparent thatcertain agents which are both chemically and physiologically related maybe substituted for the agents described herein while the same or similarresults would be achieved. All such similar substitutes andmodifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to bewithin the spirit, scope and concept of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

A. Example 1 (Materials Used)

The active ingredients in Table 1 were used to obtain the in vitro datanoted below.

TABLE 1 Ingredient Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, supplied byNaturex (France) under the trade name ROSEMARY EUTECTYS ™. Morus albafruit extract, supplied by Naturex under the trade name DERMOFEEL ®ENLIGHT. Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, supplied by Barnet under the tradename BV-OSC ™. Retinol, supplied by BASF under the trade name Retinol 50C. Acmella oleracea extract, supplied by Gattefosse (France) under thetrade name GATULINE ® EXPRESSION AF. Alpinia galanga leaf extract,supplied by BASF Care Creations under the trade name Hyalufix ™. Arganiaspinosa kernel extract, supplied by BASF, under the trade nameLipofructyl Argan BHT ™. Saccharide Isomerate, supplied by Barnet underthe trade name Benoitine ™.

B. Example 2 (Clinical Efficacy Study)

It has been unexpectedly determined that use of a combination ofRosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Morus alba fruit extract,tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, Acmella oleracea extract, Alpinia galangaleaf extract, Argania spinosa oil, saccharide isomerate, and less than 1wt. % retinol (e.g., 0.5 wt. % as tested in this clinical study), is aseffective as, or more effective than other formulations containing 1%retinol in all clinical tests such as skin lightness and skin redness asmeasured by chromameter, skin firmness and elasticity as measured by acutometer, reduction in wrinkles and mottled pigmentation as scored by adermatologist, increase in skin radiance, skin firmness, and elasticityas scored by a dermatologist, reduction in sagging skin and overallphotodamage as scored by a dermatologist, increase in smoothness andskin tone evenness as scored by a dermatologist, and mild or noerythema, redness, dryness, peeling, flaking, irritation, burning,stinging, itching, or tingling as self-scored by the clinical studyparticipants. These results demonstrate that the benefits of use of 1wt. % retinol can be obtained by the combination of ingredientscontaining less than 1 wt. % retinol while also reducing some of theunwanted effects of using higher concentrations of retinol (e.g.,increased skin irritation, skin dryness, sunlight sensitivity, burning,stinging, itching, and tingling sensation in skin caused by 1 wt. %retinol). This data suggests that the combination of ingredients may actsynergistically with retinol or that a combination of Rosmarinusofficianalis leaf extract, Morus alba fruit extract, tetrahexyldecylascorbate, Acmella oleracea extract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract,Argania spinosa oil, saccharide isomerate can be an effective substitutefor retinol or a portion of retinol, while avoiding unwanted sideeffects.

A randomized, controlled, double-blind clinical study was performed toevaluate the tolerability and efficacy of three facial emulsiontreatment products to improve photo-damaged skin, including a productfollowing the present invention and two of the leading competitorretinol products. The study took place over the course of nine (9)weeks, wherein the first week was a “wash-out” to ensure previousproduct usage by participants does not affect this study and the nexteight weeks included test product usage. The test emulsion products usedby participants were either the formulation of Table 3 containing 0.5%retinol (“MK Uber”) (26 participants), or Leading Competitor Product 1containing 1% retinol (“LCP 1”) (27 participants), or Leading CompetitorProduct 2 containing 1% retinol (“LCP 2”) (27 participants).Supplemental products used by all participants in the study includedMary Kay® Botanical Effects® Cleanse Formula 1 for dry skin (facialcleanser), Mary Kay® Intense Moisturizing Cream 0.5% Retinol for dryskin (night cream), and Neutrogena® Ultra Sheer® Dry-Touch SunscreenLotion SPF 30 (day cream SPF 30). Evaluation of photo-damaged skin wasperformed at the Baseline, Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8 of treatment.Methods for evaluation included a board-certified dermatologistevaluation for tolerance, expert clinical evaluation for efficacy,cutometer for skin firmness and elasticity, chromameter for lightness,and VISIA images to review photo-damage in skin. The results are chartedin FIGS. 1 to 12. Statistically significant results are labeled with anasterisk (*).

Participants were healthy female volunteers, aged 35 to 70 years, with amaximum of two participants aged 66 to 70 per treatment group.Participants had Fitzpatrick skin types I to III (I—Always burns easily,never tans; II—Always burns easily, tans minimally; and III—Burnsmoderately, tans gradually), and were regular users of facial cleansingand moisturizing products in their skin care routine. Participants werealso tested at Screening and Baseline visits and scored moderateseverity, or 4 to 6 on a 0 to 9 scale, for coarse wrinkles in theforehead area and facial pigmentation.

Participants were instructed to perform a morning routine and an eveningroutine using the test products. The morning routine included applyingfacial cleanser and then applying the day cream SPF 30 to the entireface and forehead each morning for the duration of the study. Theevening routine included (1) applying the facial cleanser, (2) applyinga “pea-sized” amount of the test facial emulsion product to theforehead, nose, cheeks, and chin, and (3) applying a “pea-sized” amountof the night cream to the forehead, nose, cheeks, and chin. For Weeks 0to 2, participants were instructed to apply the test facial emulsionevery other day in the evening during the evening routine. For Weeks 3to 8, participants were instructed to apply the test facial emulsiononce a day in the evening during the evening routine. Skin firmness,shown in FIG. 1, and net elasticity, shown in FIG. 2, were measuredusing a cutometer at the end of Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8, which werecompared to Baseline measurements. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the averagepercentage improvement over baseline for each test product. For skinfirmness, MK Uber and LCP 2 showed significant improvement in Week 4 andWeek 8. LCP 1 showed significant improvement in Week 8. For netelasticity, MK Uber showed statistically significant improvement in Week4 and Week 8. LCP 2 showed statistically significant improvement in Week2, Week 4, and Week 8. LCP1 showed statistically significant improvementin Week 8.

Lightness, shown in FIG. 3, and redness in skin, shown in FIG. 4, weremeasured using a chromameter at the end of Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8,which were compared to Baseline measurements. FIGS. 3 and 4 show theaverage percentage improvement over baseline for each test product. Forskin lightness, MK Uber, LCP 1, and LCP 2 showed significant improvementin Week 4. For skin redness (reduction in redness), MK Uber showedstatistically significant improvement in Week 8. LCP 2 showedstatistically significant improvement in Week 4 and Week 8. LCP 1 didnot show statistically significant improvement. LCP 1 showed significantworsening in redness during Week 2.

Some signs of ageing and skin damage include increase in foreheadwrinkles, increase in mottled pigmentation, and decrease in skinradiance. Forehead wrinkles, pigmentation, and skin radiance were scoredon a ten (10) point scale at the end of Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8,which were compared to Baseline measurements. For forehead wrinkles andpigmentation, a score of 0 was considered the best and a score of 9 wasconsidered the worst because a reduction in forehead wrinkles and/orpigmentation showed improvement. For skin radiance, a score of 0 wasconsidered the worst and a score of 9 was considered the best because anincrease in skin radiance showed improvement. FIGS. 5, 6, and 7 show theaverage percentage improvement in forehead wrinkles (reduction offorehead wrinkles), in pigmentation (reduction in mottled pigmentation),and in skin radiance (increase in skin radiance), respectively, asscored in clinical grading, for each test product. For foreheadwrinkles, MK Uber showed significant percentage improvement in Week 4and Week 8. LCP 1 and LCP 2 showed significant improvement in Week 2,Week 4, and Week 8. For pigmentation, MK Uber, LCP 1, and LCP 2 showedstatistically significant improvement in Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8. Forskin radiance, MK Uber, LCP 1, and LCP 2 showed statisticallysignificant improvement in Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8. Specifically, MKUber showed an over 400% improvement in skin radiance over the Baseline.MK Uber showed a visible improvement in wrinkles.

Other signs of ageing and skin damage include decrease in skin firmnessand decrease in skin elasticity. Skin firmness and skin elasticity werescored on a ten (10) point scale at the end of Week 2, Week 4, and Week8, which were compared to Baseline measurements. For skin firmness andskin elasticity, a score of 0 was considered the worst and a score of 9was considered the best because an increase in skin firmness and/or skinelasticity showed improvement. Skin firmness and skin elasticity wereclinically graded using tactile means. FIGS. 8 and 9 show the averagepercentage improvement in skin firmness (increase in skin firmness) andin skin elasticity (increase in skin elasticity), respectively, asscored in clinical grading, for each test product. For skin firmness, MKUber, LCP 1, and LCP 2 showed significant percentage improvement in Week2, Week 4, and Week 8. For skin elasticity, MK Uber, LCP 1, and LCP 2showed statistically significant improvement in Week 2, Week 4, and Week8.

Additional signs of ageing and skin damage include increase in overallphotodamage, decrease in skin texture/smoothness, and decrease in skintone evenness. Overall skin photodamage, skin smoothness, and skin toneevenness were scored on a ten (10) point scale at the end of Week 2,Week 4, and Week 8, which were compared to Baseline measurements. Foroverall photodamage, a score of 0 was considered the best and a score of9 was considered the worst because a reduction in overall skinphotodamage showed improvement. For skin smoothness and skin toneevenness, a score of 0 was considered the worst and a score of 9 wasconsidered the best because an increase in skin smoothness and/or skintone evenness showed improvement. FIGS. 10, 11, and 12 show the averagepercentage improvement in overall photodamage (decrease in overall skinphotodamage), in skin texture/smoothness (increase in skin smoothness),and in skin tone evenness (increase in skin tone evenness),respectively, as scored in clinical grading, for each test product. Foroverall photodamage, MK Uber, LCP 1, and LCP 2 showed significantpercentage improvement in Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8. For skintexture/smoothness, MK Uber, LCP 1, and LCP 2 showed statisticallysignificant improvement in Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8. For skin toneevenness, MK Uber, LCP 1, and LCP 2 showed statistically significantimprovement in Week 2, Week 4, and Week 8. MK Uber showed an over 100%improvement in skin smoothness over the Baseline. MK Uber showed avisible improvement in skin tone.

Dermatologist Tolerance was measured for erythema/redness, dryness,peeling/flaking, and irritation in skin, and Self-Assessment Tolerancewas collected for burning, stinging, itching, and tingling sensations inskin. Dermatologist Tolerance and Self-Assessment Tolerance were scoredwith an effect of “none,” “mild,” “moderate,” or “high.” No scores wereat “mild” or above.

C. Example 3 (In-Vitro Efficacy of Ingredients)

It has been determined that Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Morusalba fruit extract, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol, Acmella oleraceaextract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Argania spinosa oil, and/orsaccharide isomerate can increase anti-oxidant capacity (TEAC) in skin,increase collagen expression in skin, increase elastin expression inskin, increase laminin expression in skin, inhibit MMP-1, inhibit MMP-3,inhibit MMP-9, inhibit pro-inflammatory cytokines (e.g., lipoxygenase,IL-6, Il-8, TNF-α, or VEGF), inhibit elastase expression in skin, and/orincrease fibronectin expression in skin. A summary of results are foundin Tables 2 to 9 and the methods used to determine the properties of theingredients are provided below.

TABLE 2 (Change in Expression of Activities) Type of Change IngredientChange (%) Increase Anti-Oxidant Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract 52(AO) Capacity Acmella oleracea extract 80 Morus alba fruit extract 98Increase Collagen Acmella oleracea extract 41 Expression Morus albafruit extract 27 Alpinia galanga leaf extract 25 Argania spinosa kernelextract 28 Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate 50 Increase Elastin Alpinia galangaleaf extract 43 Expression Argania spinosa kernel extract 82 IncreaseLaminin Acmella oleracea extract 39 Expression Morus alba fruit extract14 Alpinia galanga leaf extract 500 Argania spinosa kernel extract 135Inhibit MMP-1 Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract 98 Morus alba fruitextract 96 Inhibit MMP-3 Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract 40 Morusalba fruit extract 29 Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate 38 Inhibit MMP-9Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract 61 Acmella oleracea extract 80Morus alba fruit extract 84 Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate 11 InhibitLipoxygenase Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract 54 Acmella oleraceaextract 98 Inhibit IL-6 Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract 83 Acmellaoleracea extract 80 Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate 38 Inhibit IL-8 Rosmarinusofficianalis leaf extract 98 Inhibit TNF-α Rosmarinus officianalis leafextract 85 Saccharide Isomerate 88 Inhibit VEGF Rosmarinus officianalisleaf extract 50 Inhibit Elastase Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract 54Morus alba fruit extract 25 Increase Fibronectin Morus alba fruitextract 13 Expression Argania spinosa kernel extract 22

Antioxidant (AO) Assay: Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Acmellaoleracea extract, and Morus alba fruit extract have been shown toprovide anti-oxidant capacity (TEAC) by inhibiting the oxidation ofABTS® (2,2′-azino-di-[3-ethylbenzthiazoline sulphonate]) to ABTS®+ bymetmyoglobin. The antioxidant system of living organisms includesenzymes such as superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathioneperoxidase; macromolecules such as albumin, ceruloplasmin, and ferritin;and an array of small molecules, including ascorbic acid, α-tocopherol,(3-carotene, reduced glutathione, uric acid, and bilirubin. The sum ofendogenous and food-derived antioxidants represents the totalantioxidant activity of the extracellular fluid. Cooperation of all thedifferent antioxidants provides greater protection against attack byreactive oxygen or nitrogen radicals, than any single compound alone.Thus, the overall antioxidant capacity may give more relevant biologicalinformation compared to that obtained by the measurement of individualcomponents, as it considers the cumulative effect of all antioxidantspresent in plasma and body fluids. The capacity of Rosmarinusofficianalis leaf extract, Acmella oleracea extract, and Morus albafruit extract to prevent ABTS oxidation was compared with that ofTrolox, a water-soluble tocopherol analogue, and was quantified as molarTrolox equivalents. Anti-Oxidant capacity kit #709001 from CaymanChemical (Ann Arbor, Mich. USA) was used to measure the totalanti-oxidant capacity. It was determined that Rosmarinus officianalisleaf extract inhibited the oxidation of ABTS® to ABTS®+ by metmyoglobinby 52%, Acmella oleracea extract inhibited by 80%, and Morus alba fruitextract inhibited by 98% as compared to the inhibition of oxidation byTrolox.

Collagen Stimulation Assay: Acmella oleracea extract, Morus alba fruitextract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Argania spinosa kernel extract,and tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate have been shown to increase expression ofprocollagen-1, a precursor to collagen. Collagens (types I, II, III, IVand V) are synthesized as precursor molecules called procollagens. Theseprecursor molecules contain additional peptide sequences, usually called“propeptides”, at both the amino-terminal and the carboxy-terminal ends.During cellular expression and secretion, procollagens are assembled inthe trimeric form and then cleaved at specific N- and C-terminal sitesby specific endopeptidases, generating three fragments: procollagen-1N-terminal propeptide (PINP), Type I collagen, and procollagen-1carboxy-terminal propeptide (PICP).

The function of the propeptides is to facilitate the winding ofprocollagen molecules into a triple-helical conformation within theendoplasmic reticulum. The propeptides are cleaved off from the collagentriple helix molecule during its secretion, after which the triple helixcollagens polymerize into extracellular collagen fibrils. Thus, theamount of the free propeptides reflects stoichiometrically the amount ofcollagen molecules synthesized (a relationship analogous to that betweenthe carboxy-terminal peptide of proinsulin and the endogenously producedinsulin). Collagen is an extracellular matrix protein critical for skinstructure. Increased synthesis of collagen helps improve skin firmnessand elasticity. MK Uber showed a visible improvement in skin firmness.

Quantitative detection of PICP in fibroblast cell extracts and culturesupernatants was performed with an enzyme immunoassay kit (e.g., Takara#MK101) to assess the effects of the ingredients on the synthesis ofPICP in skin. This bioassay was used to examine effects on theproduction of procollagen peptide (a precursor to collagen) by humanepidermal fibroblasts. The endpoint of this assay was aspectrophotometric measurement that reflects the presence of procollagenpeptide and cellular viability. The assay employed the quantitativesandwich enzyme immunoassay technique whereby a monoclonal antibodyspecific for procollagen peptide was pre-coated onto a microplate.Standards and samples were pipetted into the wells and any procollagenpeptide present was bound by the immobilized antibody. After washingaway any unbound substances, an enzyme-linked polyclonal antibodyspecific for procollagen peptide was added to the wells. Following awash to remove any unbound antibody-enzyme reagent, a substrate solutionwas added to the wells and color was developed in proportion to theamount of procollagen peptide bound in the initial step. Colordevelopment was stopped and the intensity of the color at 450 nm wasmeasured using a microplate reader. It was determined that Acmellaoleracea extract increased procollagen-1 expression by 41%, Morus albafruit extract increased procollagen-1 expression by 27%, Alpinia galangaleaf extract increased procollagen-1 expression by 25%, Argania spinosakernel extract increased procollagen-1 expression by 28%, andtetrahexyldecyl ascorbate increased procollagen-1 expression by 50%.

For generation of samples and controls, subconfluent normal human adultepidermal fibroblasts (Cascade Biologics) were cultivated in standardDMEM growth medium with 10% fetal bovine serum (Mediatech) at 37° C. in10% CO₂. The cells were treated with each of the tested ingredients andcontrols for 3 days. Following incubation, cell culture medium wascollected and the amount of Type I procollagen peptide secretion wasquantified using the sandwich enzyme linked immuno-sorbant assay (ELISA)from Takara (#MK101) as explained above.

Elastin Stimulation Assay: Alpinia galanga leaf extract and Arganiaspinosa kernel extract have been shown to increase elastin expression.Elastin is a connective tissue protein that helps skin resume shapeafter stretching or contracting. Elastin is also an importantload-bearing protein used in places where mechanical energy is requiredto be stored. Elastin is made by linking many soluble tropoelastinprotein molecules, in a reaction catalyzed by lysyl oxidase. Elastinsecretion and elastin fibers were monitored in cultured humanfibroblasts by staining of cultured human fibroblasts usingimmunofluorescent antibodies directed against elastin by a direct ELISAsandwich method. A Meso Scale Discovery system SECTOR 2400 Imagingsystem was used to analyze the results. Changes in elastin secretion andelastin fibers caused by Argania spinosa kernel extract and Alpiniagalanga leaf extract were determined by incubating cultured humanfibroblasts with the active ingredient for a period of time beforeprobing the cells or a lysate thereof with antibodies directed againstelastin. It was shown that Argania spinosa kernel extract and Alpiniagalanga leaf extract increased elastin synthesis by 82% and 43%,respectively.

Laminin Stimulation Assay: Laminin is a major protein in thedermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) (also referred to as the basementmembrane). The DEJ is located between the dermis and the epidermisinterlocks forming fingerlike projections called rete ridges. The cellsof the epidermis receive their nutrients from the blood vessels in thedermis. The rete ridges increase the surface area of the epidermis thatis exposed to these blood vessels and the needed nutrients. The DEJprovides adhesion of the two tissue compartments and governs thestructural integrity of the skin. Laminin is a structural glycoproteinlocated in the DEJ. Together with fibronectin, laminin is considered theglue that holds the cells together, and both are secreted by dermalfibroblasts to help facilitate intra- and inter-cellular adhesion of theepidermal calls to the DEJ.

Laminin secretion was monitored by quantifying laminin in cellsupernatants of cultured human fibroblasts treated for 3 days withculture medium with or without 1.0% final concentration of the testingredient(s). Following incubation, laminin content was measured usingimmunofluorescent antibodies directed against each protein in an enzymelinked immuno-sorbant assay (ELISA). It was determined that Acmellaoleracea extract increased laminin expression by 39%, Morus alba fruitextract increased laminin expression by 14%, Alpinia galanga leafextract increased laminin expression by 500%, and Argania spinosa kernelextract increased laminin expression by 135%.

Matrix Metalloproteinase 1 Enzyme Activity (MMP-1) Assay: Rosmarinusofficianalis leaf extract and Morus alba fruit extract have been shownto inhibit MMP-1 expression. MMPs are extracellular proteases that playa role in many normal and disease states by virtue of their broadsubstrate specificity. MMP-1 substrates include collagen IV. TheMolecular Probes Enz/Chek Gelatinase/Collagenase Assay kit (#E12055),used to detect MMP-1 protease activity, utilizes a fluorogenic gelatinsubstrate and tests proteolytic cleavage of the substrate by purifiedMMP-1 enzyme. Upon proteolytic cleavage of the substrate, bright greenfluorescence is revealed and was monitored using a fluorescentmicroplate reader to measure enzymatic activity.

Test materials were incubated in the presence or absence of the purifiedenzyme and substrate to determine their protease inhibitor capacity. Itwas determined that Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract and Morus albafruit extract inhibited MMP-1 by 98% and 96%, respectively.

Matrix Metalloproteinase 3 and 9 Enzyme Activity (MMP-3; MMP-9) Assay:Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Morus alba fruit extract,tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, and/or Acmella oleracea extract have beenshown to inhibit MMP-3 and/or MMP-9 expression. MMPs are extracellularproteases that play a role in many normal and disease states by virtueof their broad substrate specificity. MMP-3 substrates includecollagens, fibronectins, and laminin; while MMP-9 substrates includecollagen VII, fibronectins and laminin. Colorimetric Drug Discovery kitsfrom BioMol International for MMP-3 (AK-400) and MMP-9 (AK-410) wereused to measure protease activity of MMPs using a thiopeptide as achromogenic substrate(Ac-PLG-[2-mercapto-4-methyl-pentanoyl]-LG-OC2H5)5,6. The MMP cleavagesite peptide bond is replaced by a thioester bond in the thiopeptide.Hydrolysis of this bond by an MMP produces a sulfhydryl group, whichreacts with DTNB [5,5′-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid), Ellman's reagent]to form 2-nitro-5-thiobenzoic acid, which can be detected by itsabsorbance at 412 nm (c=13,600 M-lcm-1 at pH 6.0 and above 7). It wasdetermined that Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract inhibited MMP-3 by40%, Morus alba fruit extract inhibited by 29%, and tetrahexyldecylascorbate inhibited by 38%. It was determined that Rosmarinusofficianalis leaf extract inhibited MMP-9 by 61%, Morus alba fruitextract inhibited by 84%, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate inhibited by 11%,and Acmella oleracea extract inhibited by 80%.

Lipoxygenase (LO) Assay: Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract and/orAcmella oleracea extract have been shown to inhibit lipoxygenase (LO)expression. LOs are non-heme iron-containing dioxygenases that catalyzethe addition of molecular oxygen to fatty acids. Linoleate andarachidonate are the main substrates for LOs in plants and animals.Arachadonic acid may then be converted to hydroxyeicosotrienenoic (HETE)acid derivatives, that are subsequently converted to leukotrienes,potent inflammatory mediators. An accurate and convenient method forscreening lipoxygenase inhibitors is performed by measuring thehydroperoxides generated from the incubation of a lipoxygenase (5-, 12-,or 15-LO) with arachidonic acid. The Colorimetric LO Inhibitor screeningkit (#760700, Cayman Chemical) was used to determine the ability ofRosmarinus officianalis leaf extract and/or Acmella oleracea extract toinhibit enzyme activity.

Purified 15-lipoxygenase and test ingredients were mixed in assay bufferand incubated with shaking for 10 min at room temperature. Followingincubation, arachidonic acid was added to initiate the reaction and themixtures were incubated for an additional 10 min at room temperature.Colorimetric substrate was added to terminate catalysis and colorprogression was evaluated by fluorescence plate reading at 490 nm. Thepercent inhibition of lipoxyganse activity was calculated compared tonon-treated controls to determine the ability of Rosmarinus officianalisleaf extract and/or Acmella oleracea extract to inhibit the activity ofpurified enzyme. It was determined that Rosmarinus officianalis leafextract and/or Acmella oleracea extract inhibited lipoxyganse activityby 54% and 98%, respectively.

Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha (TNF-α) Assay: Rosmarinus officianalis leafextract and saccharide isomerate inhibit TNF-α activity. The prototypeligand of the TNF superfamily, TNF-α, is a pleiotropic cytokine thatplays a central role in inflammation. Increase in its expression isassociated with an up regulation in pro-inflammatory activity. Thebioassay used analyzed the effect of Rosmarinus officianalis leafextract and saccharide isomerate on the production of TNF-α by humanepidermal keratinocytes. The endpoint of this assay was aspectrophotometric measurement that reflects the presence of TNF-α andcellular viability. The assay employed the quantitative sandwich enzymeimmunoassay technique whereby a monoclonal antibody specific for TNF-αhad been pre-coated onto a microplate.

Standards and samples were pipetted into wells of the microplate and anyTNF-α present was bound by the immobilized antibody. After washing awayany unbound substances, an enzyme-linked polyclonal antibody specificfor TNF-α was added to the wells. Following a wash to remove any unboundantibody-enzyme reagent, a substrate solution was added to the wells andcolor developed in proportion to the amount of TNF-α bound in theinitial step using a microplate reader for detection at 450 nm. Thecolor development can be stopped and the intensity of the color wasmeasured. Subconfluent normal human adult keratinocytes (CascadeBiologics) cultivated in EPILIFE™ standard growth medium (CascadeBiologics) at 37° C. in 5% CO₂ were treated with phorbol 12-myristate13-acetate (PMA, 10 ng/ml, Sigma Chemical, #P1585-1MG) and Rosmarinusofficianalis leaf extract, saccharide isomerate, or no test ingredient(for negative control) for 6 hours. PMA has been shown to cause adramatic increase in TNF-α secretion which peaks at 6 hours aftertreatment. Following incubation, cell culture medium was collected andthe amount of TNF-α secretion quantified using a sandwich enzyme linkedimmuno-sorbant assay (ELISA) from R&D Systems (#DTA00C). Rosmarinusofficianalis leaf extract and saccharide isomerate inhibit TNF-α by 85%and 88%, respectively.

Elastase Assay: ENZCHEK® Elastase Assay (Kit #E-12056) from MolecularProbes (Eugene, Oreg. USA) was used as an in vitro enzyme inhibitionassay for measuring inhibition of elastase activity in the presence ofRosmarinus officianalis leaf extract and Morus alba fruit extract. TheEnzChek kit contained soluble bovine neck ligament elastin that islabeled with dye such that the conjugate's fluorescence is quenched. Thenon-fluorescent substrate was digested by elastase or other proteases toyield highly fluorescent fragments. The resulting increase influorescence was monitored with a fluorescence microplate reader.Digestion products from the elastin substrate have absorption maxima at˜505 nm and fluorescence emission maxima at ˜515 nm. The peptide,N-methoxysuccinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Val-chloromethyl ketone, was used as aselective, collective inhibitor of elastase for a positive control whenutilizing the EnzChek Elastase Assay Kit for screening for elastaseinhibitors. It was determined that Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extractand Morus alba fruit extract inhibited elastase by 54% and 25%,respectively.

Fibronectin Stimulation Assay: Fibronectin is a major protein in thedermal-epidermal junction (DEJ) (also referred to as the basementmembrane). The DEJ is located between the dermis and the epidermisinterlocks forming fingerlike projections called rete ridges. The cellsof the epidermis receive their nutrients from the blood vessels in thedermis. The rete ridges increase the surface area of the epidermis thatis exposed to these blood vessels and the needed nutrients. The DEJprovides adhesion of the two tissue compartments and governs thestructural integrity of the skin. Fibronectin is a structuralglycoprotein located in the DEJ. Together with laminin, fibronectin isconsidered the glue that holds the cells together, and both are secretedby dermal fibroblasts to help facilitate intra- and inter-cellularadhesion of the epidermal calls to the DEJ.

Fibronectin secretion was monitored by quantifying fibronectin in cellsupernatants of cultured human fibroblasts treated for 3 days withculture medium with or without 1.0% final concentration of the testingredient(s). Following incubation, fibronectin content was measuredusing immunofluorescent antibodies directed against each protein in anenzyme linked immuno-sorbant assay (ELISA). It was determined thatArgania spinosa kernel extract and Morus alba fruit extract increasedfibronectin expression by 22% and 13%, respectively.

D. Example 4 (Exemplary Formulations)

Formulations having the ingredients disclosed herein were prepared astopical skin compositions. In some instances, the topical skincompositions can be prepared as an emulsion, serum, gel, gel emulsion,or cream. The formulation in Table 3 is an example of a topical skincomposition prepared as a cream.

TABLE 3{circumflex over ( )} % Concentration Ingredient (by weight)Water 65.5 Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride 6 Glycerin 6 Pentylene glycol3.1 Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate 3 Ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/ 2 VPcopolymer Dimethicone 2 Argania spinosa kernel oil 1.9 Propanediol 1.7Sodium phytate 1.5 Triethanolamine 1.3 Silica 1 Lactic acid 0.8 Betaine0.7 Phenoxyethanol 0.5 Polysorbate 20 0.5 Retinol 0.5 Caprylyl glycol0.4 Polyacrylate-13 0.3 Butylene glycol 0.3 Acmella oleracea extract 0.2Tocopheryl acetate 0.2 BHT 0.1 Polyisobutene 0.1 Alpinia galanga leafextract 0.1 Rosmarinus offinalis (Rosemary) 0.04 leaf extract Saccharideisomerate 0.02 Morus alba fruit extract 0.003 Excipients* q.s.{circumflex over ( )}Formulation can be prepared by mixing theingredients in a beaker under heat 70-75° C. until homogenous.Subsequently, the formulation can be cooled to standing room temperature(20-25° C.). Further, and if desired, additional ingredients can beadded, for example, to modify the rheological properties of thecomposition or ingredients that provide benefits to skin. *Excipientscan be added, for example, to modify the rheological properties of thecomposition. Alternatively, the amount of water can be varied so long asthe amount of water in the composition is at least 40% w/w, andpreferably between 50 to 80% w/w.

In some instances, the topical skin compositions can be prepared as afacial milk, calming milk, or serum. The formulation in Table 4 is anexample of a topical skin composition prepared as a facial milk.

TABLE 4{circumflex over ( )} % Concentration Ingredient (by weight)Water 63 Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride 6.5 Glycerin 6 Pentylene glycol3.1 Tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate 3 Ammonium acryloyldimethyltaurate/ 2.5 VPcopolymer Dimethicone 2 Argania spinosa kernel oil 1.9 Propanediol 1.7Glyceryl oleate citrate 1.5 Sodium phytate 1.5 Triethanolamine 1.3Silica 1 Lactic acid 0.8 Betaine 0.7 Polysorbate 20 0.5 Retinol 0.5Phenoxyethanol 0.5 Caprylyl glycol 0.4 Polyacrylate-13 0.3 Butyleneglycol 0.3 Acmella oleracea extract 0.2 Tocopheryl acetate 0.2Polyisobutene 0.1 Alpinia galanga leaf extract 0.1 Rosmarinus offinalis(Rosemary) 0.04 leaf extract Saccharide isomerate 0.02 Morus alba fruitextract 0.003 Excipients* q.s. {circumflex over ( )}Formulation can beprepared by mixing the ingredients in a beaker under heat 70-75° C.until homogenous. Subsequently, the formulation can be cooled tostanding room temperature (20-25° C.). Further, and if desired,additional ingredients can be added, for example, to modify therheological properties of the composition or ingredients that providebenefits to skin. *Excipients can be added, for example, to modify therheological properties of the composition. Alternatively, the amount ofwater can be varied so long as the amount of water in the composition isat least 40% w/w, and preferably between 50 to 80% w/w.

E. Example 5 (Use Examples)

Some uses of a topical skin composition including a combination ofRosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Morus alba fruit extract,tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, Acmella oleracea extract, Alpinia galangaleaf extract, Argania spinosa oil, saccharide isomerate, and less than 1wt. % retinol to treat skin have been identified. Treatment methods caninclude various application instructions and/or combinations ofcompositions, facial milks, sunscreens, cleansers, day cream, nightcream, serums, gels, or other skin treatment products.

In some instances, for skin that has not been exposed to retinolsolutions or sensitive skin, a topical composition as disclosed hereinand a facial milk as disclosed herein can be used to provide one or moreanti-aging benefits to skin. According to some implementations, atopical skin composition as disclosed herein and a facial milk asdisclosed herein can be used over an at least eight week period toimprove skin. During Weeks 1 and 2, the skin can be cleansed in theevening. After 5-10 minutes pass, once per week, a pea-sized amount of atopical composition comprising any one of, any combination of, or all ofRosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Morus alba fruit extract,tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol, Acmella oleracea extract, Alpiniagalanga leaf extract, Argania spinosa oil, and/or saccharide isomeratecan be combined with a pea-sized amount of a facial milk comprisingretinol, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, Cocos nucifera(coconut) oil, Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, Olea europaea(olive) fruit oil, and squalene. The pea-sized amounts of the topicalcomposition and facial milk can be mixed together, used at the sametime, or used one after the other. In some implementations, the mixturecan be applied to the forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin in an upward,outward motion, avoiding the eye area. During Weeks 3-8, the skin can becleansed in the evening. After 5-10 minutes pass, once per week, apea-sized amount of a topical composition comprising any one of, anycombination of, or all of Rosmarinus officianalis leaf extract, Morusalba fruit extract, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol, Acmella oleraceaextract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Argania spinosa oil, and/orsaccharide isomerate can be applied to the forehead, cheeks, nose, andchin and then smoothed on the entire face in an upward, outward motion,avoiding the eye area. Then, a pea-sized amount of a facial milkcomprising retinol, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, Cocosnucifera (coconut) oil, Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, Oleaeuropaea (olive) fruit oil, and squalene can be applied to the forehead,cheeks, nose, and chin and then smoothed on the entire face in anupward, outward motion, avoiding the eye area. During Weeks 3-4, thisprocedure can be followed once per week. During Weeks 5-6, thisprocedure can be followed twice per week. During Weeks 7-8, thisprocedure can be followed three to five times per week. During Weeks1-8, the facial milk composition can be used at any point in the day andas needed to relieve irritated skin. In some preferred implementations,sunscreen can be used during the day.

In some instances, for skin that has previously been exposed to retinolsolutions or non-sensitive skin, a topical composition as disclosedherein and a facial milk as disclosed herein can be used to provide oneor more anti-aging benefits to skin. According to some implementations,a topical skin composition as disclosed herein and a facial milk asdisclosed herein can be used over an at least eight week period toimprove skin. A pea-sized amount of a topical composition comprising anyone of, any combination of, or all of Rosmarinus officianalis leafextract, Morus alba fruit extract, tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, retinol,Acmella oleracea extract, Alpinia galanga leaf extract, Argania spinosaoil, and/or saccharide isomerate can be applied to clean, dry skin everyother evening, gradually increasing frequency after Week 2 as toleratedby skin. In some implementations, the pea-sized amount can be applied tothe forehead, cheeks, nose, and chin in an upward, outward motion,avoiding the eye area. In some implementations, the topical compositioncan be combined with a pea-sized amount of a facial milk comprisingretinol, Simmondsia chinensis (jojoba) seed oil, Cocos nucifera(coconut) oil, Carthamus tinctorius (safflower) seed oil, Olea europaea(olive) fruit oil, and squalene. The pea-sized amounts of the topicalcomposition and facial milk can be mixed together, used at the sametime, or used one after the other. In some implementations, the userwill allow for full absorption of the topical composition beforeapplying additional skin products. In some preferred implementations,sunscreen can be used during the day.

F. Example 6 (Additional Assays)

Assays that can be used to determine the efficacy of any one of theingredients or any combination of ingredients or compositions havingsaid combination of ingredients disclosed throughout the specificationand claims can be determined by methods known to those of ordinary skillin the art. The following are non-limiting assays that can be used inthe context of the present invention. It should be recognized that othertesting procedures can be used, including, for example, objective andsubjective procedures.

Lysyl Oxidase Assay: A lysyl oxidase assay can be performed on skincells (e.g., epidermal keratinocytes, fibroblasts, and/or dermalendothelial cells) to determine the ability of any one of the activeingredients, combination of ingredients, or compositions having saidcombinations disclosed in the specification to stimulate expression oflysyl oxidase in skin. Lysyl oxidase can catalyze crosslinking ofelastin and collagens, thereby providing for a more structurally rigidmatrix for skin. By increasing expression of lysyl oxidase, increasedcross-linking of elastin and collagens can occur, which can bebeneficial in reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, saggingskin, and/or non-elastic skin.

B16 Pigmentation Assay: Melanogenesis is the process by whichmelanocytes produce melanin, a naturally produced pigment that impartscolor to skin, hair, and eyes. Inhibiting melanogenesis is beneficial toprevent skin darkening and lighten dark spots associated with aging.This bioassay can utilize B16-F1 melanocytes (ATCC), an immortalizedmouse melanoma cell line, to analyze the effect of compounds onmelanogenesis. The endpoint of this assay can be a spectrophotometricmeasurement of melanin production and cellular viability. B16-F1melanocytes, can be cultivated in standard DMEM growth medium with 10%fetal bovine serum (Mediatech) at 37° C. in 10% CO₂ and then treatedwith any one of the active ingredients, combination of ingredients, orcompositions having said combinations disclosed in the specification for6 days. Following incubation, melanin secretion can be measured byabsorbance at 405 nm and cellular viability is quantified.

ORAC Assay: Oxygen Radical Absorption (or Absorbance) Capacity (ORAC) ofany one of the active ingredients, combination of ingredients, orcompositions having said combinations disclosed in the specification canalso be assayed by measuring the antioxidant activity of suchingredients or compositions. Antioxidant activity indicates a capabilityto reduce oxidizing agents (oxidants). This assay quantifies the degreeand length of time it takes to inhibit the action of an oxidizing agent,such as oxygen radicals, that are known to cause damage to cells (e.g.,skin cells). The ORAC value of any one of the active ingredients,combination of ingredients, or compositions having said combinationsdisclosed in the specification can be determined by methods known tothose of ordinary skill in the art (see U.S. Publication Nos.2004/0109905 and 2005/0163880; and commercially available kits such asZen-Bio ORAC Anti-oxidant Assay kit (#AOX-2)). The Zen-Bio ORACAnti-oxidant Assay kit measures the loss of fluorescein fluorescenceover time due to the peroxyl-radical formation by the breakdown of AAPH(2,2′-axobis-2-methyl propanimidamide, dihydrochloride). Trolox, a watersoluble vitamin E analog, serves as positive control inhibitionfluorescein decay in a dose dependent manner.

Production of Hyaluronic Acid: Changes in the production of hyaluronicacid (HA) in human dermal fibroblasts due to each of the activeingredients, any one of the combination of ingredients, or compositionshaving said combinations disclosed in the specification can be measured.HA is a polysaccharide involved in stabilization of the structure of thematrix and is involved in providing turgor pressure to tissue and cells.As one non-limiting example, HA production in treated and non-treatedadult human dermal fibroblasts (HDFa) cells can be determined using theHyaluronan DuoSet ELISA kit from R&D Systems (DY3614). In this assay,for production of samples, subconfluent HDFa cells from CascadeBiologics (C-13-5C) are incubated at 37° C. and 10% CO₂ in starvationmedium (0.15% fetal bovine serum and 1% Penicillin Streptomycin solutionin Dulbecco's Modified Eagle Medium) for 72 hours prior to treatment.The cells are then incubated with fresh starvation medium with eithertest compound, positive control (phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate fromSigma-Aldrich (P1585) and platelet derived growth factor fromSigma-Aldrich (P3201)), or no additive for 24 hours. Media is thencollected and frozen at −80° C. until use in the ELISA assay.

Briefly, the ELISA assay employs a quantitative sandwich enzymeimmunoassay technique whereby a capture antibody specific for HA can bepre-coated onto a microplate. Standards and media from treated anduntreated cells are pipetted into the microplate wells to enable any HApresent to be bound by the immobilized antibody. After washing away anyunbound substances, an enzyme-linked detection antibody specific for HAis added to the wells. Following a wash to remove any unboundantibody-enzyme reagent, a substrate solution is added to the wells toallow color development in proportion to the amount of HA bound in theinitial step. The color development is stopped at a specific time andthe intensity of the color at 450 nm can be measured using a microplatereader.

Production of Occludin: Changes in the production of occludin inkeratinocytes due to each of the active ingredients, any one of thecombination of ingredients, or compositions having said combinationsdisclosed in the specification can be measured. Occludin is a proteincritical to the formulation of tight junctions and the skin's moisturebarrier function. A non-limiting example of how occludin production intreated and non-treated keratinocytes can be determined is by the use ofa bioassay that analyzes occludin concentration in keratinocyte celllysates. The bioassay can be performed using PROTEINSIMPLE® SIMON™western blotting protocol. For the samples, adult human epidermalkeratinocytes (HEKa) from Life Technologies (C-005-5C) can be grown at37° C. and 5% CO2 for 24 hours in EPILIFE™ growth media with calciumfrom Life Technologies (M-EP-500-CA) supplemented with KeratinocyteGrowth Supplement (HKGS) from Life Technologies (S-101-5). HEKa are thenincubated in growth medium with test compound/extract, nocompound/extract for negative control, or with 1 mM CaCl₂ for positivecontrol for 24 to 48 hours. The HEKa are then washed, collected, andstored on ice or colder until lysed on ice using a lysis buffer andsonication. The protein concentrations of the samples can be determinedand used to normalize the samples. The lysates are stored at −80° C.until use in the bioassay.

The PROTEINSIMPLE® SIMON™ western blotting bioassay assay employs aquantitative western blotting immunoassay technique using an antibodyspecific for occludin to quantitatively detect occludin in the testsamples. Cell samples are lysed and normalized for proteinconcentration. Normalized samples and molecular weight standards arethen loaded and ran on a denatured protein separation gel usingcapillary electrophoresis. The proteins in the gel are then immobilizedand immunoprobed using a primary antibody specific for occludin. Theimmobilized proteins are immunoprobed with an enzyme-linked detectionantibody that binds the primary antibody. A chemiluminescent substratesolution is then added to the immobilized proteins to allowchemiluminescent development in proportion to the amount of occludinbound in the immobilization. The chemiluminescent development can bestopped at a specific time and the intensity of the chemiluminescentsignal can be measured and compared to positive and negative controls.

Keratinocyte Monolayer Permeability: Changes in the permeability of akeratinocyte monolayer due to each of the active ingredients, any one ofthe combination of ingredients, or compositions having said combinationsdisclosed in the specification can be measured. Keratinocyte monolayerpermeability is a measure of skin barrier integrity. Keratinocytemonolayer permeability in treated and non-treated keratinocytes can bedetermined using, as a non-limiting example, the In Vitro VascularPermeability assay by Millipore (ECM642). This assay analyzesendothelial cell adsorption, transport, and permeability. Briefly, adulthuman epidermal keratinocytes from Life Technologies (C-005-5C) can beseeded onto a porous collagen-coated membrane within a collection well.The keratinocytes are then incubated for 24 hours at 37° C. and 5% CO₂in Epilife growth media with calcium from Life Technologies(M-EP-500-CA) supplemented with Keratinocyte Growth Supplement (HKGS)from Life Technologies (S-101-5). This incubation time allows the cellsto form a monolayer and occlude the membrane pores. The media is thenreplaced with fresh media with (test sample) or without (non-treatedcontrol) test compounds/extracts and the keratinocytes are incubated foran additional 48 hours at 37° C. and 5% CO₂. To determine permeabilityof the keratinocyte monolayer after incubation with/without the testcompound/extract, the media is replaced with fresh media containing ahigh molecular weight Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-Dextran and thekeratinocytes are incubated for 4 hours at 37° C. and 5% CO₂. During the4 hours incubation, FITC can pass through the keratinocytes monolayerand porous membrane into the collection well at a rate proportional tothe monolayer's permeability. After the 4 hour incubation, cellviability and the content of FITC in the collection wells can bedetermined. For the FITC content, the media in the collection well iscollected and fluorescence of the media determined at 480 nm (Em) whenexcited at 520 nm. Percent permeability and percent change in comparisonto the non-treated controls can be determined by the followingequations: Percent Permeability=((Mean Ex/Em of test sample)/Mean Ex/Emuntreated control)*100; Percent Change=Percent Permeability of testsample−Percent Permeability of untreated control.

Mushroom tyrosinase activity assay: In mammalian cells, tyrosinasecatalyzes two steps in the multi-step biosynthesis of melanin pigmentsfrom tyrosine (and from the polymerization of dopachrome). Tyrosinase islocalized in melanocytes and produces melanin (aromatic quinonecompounds) that imparts color to skin, hair, and eyes. Purified mushroomtyrosinase (Sigma) can be incubated with its substrate L-Dopa (Fisher)in the presence or absence of each of the active ingredients, any one ofthe combination of ingredients, or compositions having said combinationsdisclosed in the specification. Pigment formation can be evaluated bycolorimetric plate reading at 490 nm. The percent inhibition of mushroomtyrosinase activity can be calculated compared to non-treated controlsto determine the ability of test ingredients or combinations thereof toinhibit the activity of purified enzyme. Test extract inhibition wascompared with that of kojic acid (Sigma).

Cyclooxygenase (COX) Assay: An in vitro cyclooxygenase-1 and -2 (COX-1,-2) inhibition assay. COX is a bifunctional enzyme exhibiting bothcyclooxygenase and peroxidase activities. The cyclooxygenase activityconverts arachidonic acid to a hydroperoxy endoperoxide (ProstaglandinG2; PGG2) and the peroxidase component reduces the endoperoxide(Prostaglandin H2; PGH2) to the corresponding alcohol, the precursor ofprostaglandins, thromboxanes, and prostacyclins. This COX Inhibitorscreening assay measures the peroxidase component of cyclooxygenases.The peroxidase activity is assayed colorimetrically by monitoring theappearance of oxidized N,N,N′,N′-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD).This inhibitor screening assay includes both COX-1 and COX-2 enzymes inorder to screen isozyme-specific inhibitors. The Colormetric COX (ovine)Inhibitor screening assay (#760111, Cayman Chemical) can be used toanalyze the effects of each of the active ingredients, any one of thecombination of ingredients, or compositions having said combinationsdisclosed in the specification on the activity of purified cyclooxygnaseenzyme (COX-1 or COX-2). According to manufacturer instructions,purified enzyme, heme and test extracts can be mixed in assay buffer andincubated with shaking for 15 min at room temperature. Followingincubation, arachidonic acid and colorimetric substrate can be added toinitiate the reaction. Color progression can be evaluated bycolorimetric plate reading at 590 nm. The percent inhibition of COX-1 orCOX-2 activity can be calculated compared to non-treated controls todetermine the ability of test extracts to inhibit the activity ofpurified enzyme.

Oil Control Assay: An assay to measure reduction of sebum secretion fromsebaceous glands and/or reduction of sebum production from sebaceousglands can be assayed by using standard techniques known to those havingordinary skill in the art. In one instance, the forehead can be used.Each of the active ingredients, any one of the combination ofingredients, or compositions having said combinations disclosed in thespecification can be applied to one portion of the forehead once ortwice daily for a set period of days (e.g., 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9,10, 11, 12, 13, 14, or more days), while another portion of the foreheadis not treated with the composition. After the set period of daysexpires, then sebum secretion can be assayed by application of fineblotting paper to the treated and untreated forehead skin. This is doneby first removing any sebum from the treated and untreated areas withmoist and dry cloths. Blotting paper can then be applied to the treatedand untreated areas of the forehead, and an elastic band can be placedaround the forehead to gently press the blotting paper onto the skin.After 2 hours the blotting papers can be removed, allowed to dry andthen transilluminated. Darker blotting paper correlates with more sebumsecretion (or lighter blotting paper correlates with reduced sebumsecretion.

Erythema Assay: An assay to measure the reduction of skin redness can beevaluated using a Minolta Chromometer. Skin erythema may be induced byapplying a 0.2% solution of sodium dodecyl sulfate on the forearm of asubject. The area is protected by an occlusive patch for 24 hrs. After24 hrs, the patch is removed and the irritation-induced redness can beassessed using the a* values of the Minolta Chroma Meter. The a* valuemeasures changes in skin color in the red region. Immediately afterreading, the area is treated with the active ingredients, any one of thecombination of ingredients, or compositions having said combinationsdisclosed in the specification. Repeat measurements can be taken atregular intervals to determine the formula's ability to reduce rednessand irritation.

Skin Moisture/Hydration Assay: Skin moisture/hydration benefits can bemeasured by using impedance measurements with the Nova Dermal PhaseMeter. The impedance meter measures changes in skin moisture content.The outer layer of the skin has distinct electrical properties. Whenskin is dry it conducts electricity very poorly. As it becomes morehydrated increasing conductivity results. Consequently, changes in skinimpedance (related to conductivity) can be used to assess changes inskin hydration. The unit can be calibrated according to instrumentinstructions for each testing day. A notation of temperature andrelative humidity can also be made. Subjects can be evaluated asfollows: prior to measurement they can equilibrate in a room withdefined humidity (e.g., 30-50%) and temperature (e.g., 68-72° C.). Threeseparate impedance readings can be taken on each side of the face,recorded, and averaged. The T5 setting can be used on the impedancemeter which averages the impedance values of every five secondsapplication to the face. Changes can be reported with statisticalvariance and significance. Each of the active ingredients, any one ofthe combination of ingredients, or compositions having said combinationsdisclosed in the specification can be assayed according to this process.

Skin Clarity and Reduction in Freckles and Age Spots Assay: Skin clarityand the reduction in freckles and age spots can be evaluated using aMinolta Chromometer. Changes in skin color can be assessed to determineirritation potential due to product treatment using the a* values of theMinolta Chroma Meter. The a* value measures changes in skin color in thered region. This is used to determine whether each of the activeingredients, any one of the combination of ingredients, or compositionshaving said combinations disclosed in the specification is inducingirritation. The measurements can be made on each side of the face andaveraged, as left and right facial values. Skin clarity can also bemeasured using the Minolta Meter. The measurement is a combination ofthe a*, b, and L values of the Minolta Meter and is related to skinbrightness, and correlates well with skin smoothness and hydration. Skinreading is taken as above. In one non-limiting aspect, skin clarity canbe described as L/C where C is chroma and is defined as (a²+b²)^(1/2).

Skin Dryness, Surface Fine Lines, Skin Smoothness, and Skin Tone Assay:Skin dryness, surface fine lines, skin smoothness, and skin tone can beevaluated with clinical grading techniques. For example, clinicalgrading of skin dryness can be determined by a five point standardKligman Scale: (0) skin is soft and moist; (1) skin appears normal withno visible dryness; (2) skin feels slightly dry to the touch with novisible flaking; (3) skin feels dry, tough, and has a whitish appearancewith some scaling; and (4) skin feels very dry, rough, and has a whitishappearance with scaling. Evaluations can be made independently by twoclinicians and averaged.

Clinical Grading of Skin Tone Assay: Clinical grading of skin tone canbe performed via a ten point analog numerical scale: (10) even skin ofuniform, pinkish brown color. No dark, erythremic, or scaly patches uponexamination with a hand held magnifying lens. Microtexture of the skinvery uniform upon touch; (7) even skin tone observed withoutmagnification. No scaly areas, but slight discolorations either due topigmentation or erythema. No discolorations more than 1 cm in diameter;(4) both skin discoloration and uneven texture easily noticeable. Slightscaliness. Skin rough to the touch in some areas; and (1) uneven skincoloration and texture. Numerous areas of scaliness and discoloration,either hypopigmented, erythremic or dark spots. Large areas of unevencolor more than 1 cm in diameter. Evaluations were made independently bytwo clinicians and averaged.

Clinical Grading of Skin Smoothness Assay: Clinical grading of skinsmoothness can be analyzed via a ten point analog numerical scale: (10)smooth, skin is moist and glistening, no resistance upon dragging fingeracross surface; (7) somewhat smooth, slight resistance; (4) rough,visibly altered, friction upon rubbing; and (1) rough, flaky, unevensurface. Evaluations were made independently by two clinicians andaveraged.

Skin Smoothness and Wrinkle Reduction Assay With Methods Disclosed inPackman et al. (1978): Skin smoothness and wrinkle reduction can also beassessed visually by using the methods disclosed in Packman et al.(1978). For example, at each subject visit, the depth, shallowness andthe total number of superficial facial lines (SFLs) of each subject canbe carefully scored and recorded. A numerical score was obtained bymultiplying a number factor times a depth/width/length factor. Scoresare obtained for the eye area and mouth area (left and right sides) andadded together as the total wrinkle score.

Appearance of Lines and Wrinkles Assay with Replicas: The appearance oflines and wrinkles on the skin can be evaluated using replicas, which isthe impression of the skin's surface. Silicone rubber like material canbe used. The replica can be analyzed by image analysis. Changes in thevisibility of lines and wrinkles can be objectively quantified via thetaking of silicon replicas form the subjects' face and analyzing thereplicas image using a computer image analysis system. Replicas can betaken from the eye area and the neck area, and photographed with adigital camera using a low angle incidence lighting. The digital imagescan be analyzed with an image processing program and are of the replicascovered by wrinkles or fine lines was determined.

Skin Firmness Assay with a Hargens Ballistometer: Skin firmness can bemeasured using a Hargens ballistometer, a device that evaluates theelasticity and firmness of the skin by dropping a small body onto theskin and recording its first two rebound peaks. The ballistometry is asmall lightweight probe with a relatively blunt tip (4 square mm-contactarea) was used. The probe penetrates slightly into the skin and resultsin measurements that are dependent upon the properties of the outerlayers of the skin, including the stratum corneum and outer epidermisand some of the dermal layers.

Skin Softness/Suppleness Assay with a Gas Bearing Electrodynamometer:Skin softness/suppleness can be evaluated using the Gas BearingElectrodynamometer, an instrument that measures the stress/strainproperties of the skin. The viscoelastic properties of skin correlatewith skin moisturization. Measurements can be obtained on thepredetermined site on the cheek area by attaching the probe to the skinsurface with double-stick tape. A force of approximately 3.5 gm can beapplied parallel to the skin surface and the skin displacement isaccurately measured. Skin suppleness can then be calculated and isexpressed as DSR (Dynamic Spring Rate in gm/mm).

Surface Contour of the Skin Assay with a Profilometer/Stylus Method: Thesurface contour of the skin can be measured by using theprofilometer/Stylus method. This includes either shining a light ordragging a stylus across the replica surface. The vertical displacementof the stylus can be fed into a computer via a distance transducer, andafter scanning a fixed length of replica a cross-sectional analysis ofskin profile can be generated as a two-dimensional curve. This scan canbe repeated any number of times along a fix axis to generate a simulated3-D picture of the skin. Ten random sections of the replicas using thestylus technique can be obtained and combined to generate averagevalues. The values of interest include Ra which is the arithmetic meanof all roughness (height) values computed by integrating the profileheight relative to the mean profile height. Rt which is the maximumvertical distance between the highest peak and lowest trough, and Rzwhich is the mean peak amplitude minus the mean peak height. Values aregiven as a calibrated value in mm. Equipment should be standardizedprior to each use by scanning metal standards of know values. Ra Valuecan be computed by the following equation: R_(a)=Standardize roughness;l_(m)=the traverse (scan) length; and y=the absolute value of thelocation of the profile relative to the mean profile height (x-axis).

MELANODERM™ Assay: In other non-limiting aspects, the efficacy of eachof the active ingredients, any one of the combination of ingredients, orcompositions having said combinations disclosed in the specification canbe evaluated by using a skin analog, such as, for example, MELANODERM™.Melanocytes, one of the cells in the skin analog, stain positively whenexposed to L-dihydroxyphenyl alanine (L-DOPA), a precursor of melanin.The skin analog, MELANODERM™, can be treated with a variety of basescontaining each of the active ingredients, any one of the combination ofingredients, or compositions having said combinations disclosed in thespecification or with the base alone as a control. Alternatively, anuntreated sample of the skin analog can be used as a control.

Production of Filaggrin: Changes in the production of filaggrin inkeratinocytes due to each of the active ingredients, any one of thecombination of ingredients, or compositions having said combinationsdisclosed in the specification can be measured. Filaggrin is theprecursor to Natural Moisturizing Factor (NMF) in the skin. IncreasedNMF increases the moisture content of the skin. Filaggrin production intreated and non-treated keratinocytes can be determined using a bioassaythat analyzes filaggrin concentration in keratinocyte cell lysates. Anon-limiting example of a bioassay that can be used to quantifyfilaggrin production is the PROTEINSIMPLE® SIMON™ western blottingprotocol. For each sample, normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEK)are grown in EPI-200-Mattek EPILIFE™ growth media with calcium from LifeTechnologies (M-EP-500-CA). NHEK are incubated in growth mediumovernight at 37° C. in 5% CO₂ prior to treatment. NHEK are thenincubated in growth medium with 1% test compound/extract or nocompound/extract (negative control) for 24 to 36 hours. The NHEK canthen be washed, collected, and stored on ice or colder until lysed onice using a lysis buffer and sonication. The protein concentrations ofthe samples can be determined and used to normalize the samples. Thelysates can be stored at −80° C. until use in the quantification assay.

The PROTEINSIMPLE® SIMON™ western blotting bioassay assay employs aquantitative western blotting immunoassay technique using an antibodyspecific for filaggrin to quantitatively detect filaggrin in the testsamples. Cell samples are lysed and normalized for proteinconcentration. Normalized samples and molecular weight standards canthen be loaded and ran on a denatured protein separation gel usingcapillary electrophoresis. The proteins in the gel are immobilized andimmunoprobed using a primary antibody specific for filaggrin. Theimmobilized proteins can then be immunoprobed with an enzyme-linkeddetection antibody that binds the primary antibody. A chemiluminescentsubstrate solution can then be added to the immobilized proteins toallow chemiluminescent development in proportion to the amount offilaggrin bound in the immobilization. The chemiluminescent developmentis stopped at a specific time and the intensity of the chemiluminescentsignal can be measured and compared to positive and negative controls.

Inhibition of Hyaluronidase Activity: Changes in the activity ofhyaluronidase due to each of the active ingredients, any one of thecombination of ingredients, or compositions having said combinationsdisclosed in the specification can be measured. Hyaluronidase is anenzyme that degrades HA. HA is a polysaccharide involved instabilization of the structure of the matrix and is involved inproviding turgor pressure to tissue and cells. As one non-limitingexample, hyaluronidase activity can be determined using an in vitroprotocol modified from Sigma-Aldrich protocol #EC 3.2.1.35. Briefly,hyaluronidase type 1-S from Sigma-Aldrich (H3506) is added to microplatereaction wells containing test compound or controls. Tannic acid can beused as a positive control inhibitor, no test compound can be added forthe control enzyme, and wells with test compound or positive control butwithout hyaluronidase can be used as a background negative control. Thewells are incubated at 37° C. for 10 minutes before addition ofsubstrate (HA). Substrate is added and the reactions incubated at 37° C.for 45 minutes. A portion of each reaction solution is then transferredto and gently mixed in a solution of sodium acetate and acetic acid pH3.75 to stop that portion of the reaction (stopped wells). The stoppedwells and the reaction wells should both contain the same volume ofsolution after addition of the portion of the reaction solution to thestopped wells. Both the reaction wells and the stopped wells areincubated for 10 minutes at room temperature. Absorbance at 600 nm isthen measured for both the reaction wells and the stopped wells.Inhibition can be calculated using the following formulas: Inhibitor (orcontrol) activity=(Inhibitor stopped wells absorbance at 600nm−inhibitor reaction wells absorbance at 600 nm); Initialactivity=control enzyme absorbance at 600 nm; PercentInhibition=[(Initial activity/Inhibitor Activity)*100]−100.

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor Gamma (PPAR-γ) Activity:Changes in the activity of PPAR-γ due to each of the active ingredients,any one of the combination of ingredients, or compositions having saidcombinations disclosed in the specification can be measured. PPAR-γ is areceptor critical for the production of sebum. As one non-limitingexample, the activity of PPAR-γ can be determined using a bioassay thatanalyzes the ability of a test compound or composition to inhibitbinding of a ligand. Briefly, fluorescent small-molecule pan-PPARligand, FLUORMONE™ Pan-PPAR Green, available from Life Technologies(PV4894), can be used to determine if test compounds or compositions areable to inhibit binding of the ligand to PPAR-γ. The samples wellsinclude PPAR-γ and fluorescent ligand and either: test compound orcomposition (test); a reference inhibitor, rosiglitazone (positivecontrol); or no test compound (negative control). The wells areincubated for a set period of time to allow the ligand opportunity tobind the PPAR-γ. The fluorescence polarization of each sample well canthen be measured and compared to the negative control well to determinethe percentage of inhibition by the test compound or composition.

Cytokine Array: Human epidermal keratinocytes are cultured to 70-80%confluency. The media in the plate is aspirated and 0.025% trypsin/EDTAis added. When the cells became rounded, the culture dish is gentlytapped to release the cells. The trypsin/EDTA containing cells areremoved from the culture dish and neutralized. Cells are centrifuged for5 min. at 180×g to form a pellet of cells. The supernatant is aspirated.The resulting pellet is resuspended in EPILIFE™ media (CascadeBiologics). The cells are seeded in 6-well plates at approximately10-20% confluency. After the cells became approximately 80% confluent,the media is aspirated and 1.0 ml of EPILIFE™, along with phorbol13-Myristate 12-acetate (“PMA”) (a known inducer of inflammation) andthe test composition dilutions are added to two replicate wells (i.e.,1.0% (100 μl of 100× stock) and 0.1% (10 μl of 100× stock) testcompositions are diluted into a final volume of 1 ml EpiLife GrowthMedium). The media is gently swirled to ensure adequate mixing. Inaddition, 1.0 ml of EPILIFE™ is added to the control wells, with andwithout additional PMA. The plates are then incubated at 37±1° C. and5.0±1% CO₂ for approximately 5 hours after dosing. Following this 5-hourincubation, all media is collected in conical tubes and frozen at −70°C.

For analysis, a 16-pad hybridization chamber is attached to 16-pad FASTslides arrayed in triplicate with 16 anti-cytokine antibodies plusexperimental controls (Whatman BioSciences), and the slides are placedinto a FASTFrame (4 slides per frame) for processing. Arrays are blockedfor 15 min. at room temp. using 70 ml S&S Protein Array Blocking buffer(Whatman Schleicher and Scheull). Blocking buffer is removed and 70 mlof each supernatant sample is added to each array. Arrays are incubatedfor 3 hours at room temp. with gentle agitation. Arrays are washed 3times with TBS-T. Arrays are treated with 70 ml of an antibody cocktail,containing one biotinylated antibody corresponding to each of thearrayed capture antibodies. Arrays are incubated for 1 hour at roomtemp. with gentle agitation. Arrays are washed 3 times with TBS-T.Arrays are incubated with 70 ml of a solution containingstreptavidin-Cy5 conjugate for 1 hour at room temp. with gentleagitation. Arrays are washed 3 times with TBS-T, quickly rinsed inde-ionized water, and dried.

Slides can be imaged in a Perkin-Elmer ScanArray 4000 confocalfluorescent imaging system. Array images can be saved and analyzed usingImaging Research ArrayVision software. Briefly, spot intensities aredetermined by subtracting background signal. Spot replicates from eachsample condition can be averaged and then compared to the appropriatecontrols.

Endothelial Tube Formation: Endothelial tube formation is involved inangiogenesis and micro-vessel capillary formation. Capillary formationand angiogenesis may contribute to redness and rosacea of the skin. Theability for endothelial cells to form tubes in the presence or absenceof test extracts and compounds may be determined using a capillarytubule disruption assay with pre-formed primary human umbilical veinendothelial cells (HUVEC) in a cell culture system.

Briefly, HUVECs are cultured in vitro on Extracellular Matrix, whichstimulates the attachment and tubular morphogenesis of endothelial cellsto form capillary-like lumen structures. These in vitro formed capillarytubules are similar to human blood vessel capillaries in many aspects.The capillary tube assay is based on this phenomenon and is used forevaluation of potential vasculature targeting agents.

HUVEC cultures are grown in a 5% CO₂ 37° C. cell incubator. The fullgrowth medium for HUVECs is Endothelial Cell Basal Medium (EBM)supplemented with 2% fetal bovine serum (FBS), 12 μg/ml bovine brainextract, 1 μg/ml hydrocortisone, and 1 μg/ml GA-1000(gentamicin-amphothericin). HUVEC cultures between passage 3 and 8 maybe used for all assay experiments.

HUVECs are pre-labeled with fluorescent agent Calcein AM and seeded inExtracellular Matrix coated 96-well culture plate with their full growthmedium. After about four hours of the morphogenesis process, theendothelial capillary tubes should be formed. Then, test agent indesigned doses in 50 μl volume is applied into the formed capillarytubule cultures as treatment conditions. The no-treatment controls canbe added with vehicle of test agents. Sutent, a FDA approvedanti-angiogenic drug one concentration can be included as assayperformance control. After about six hours of treatment, the endothelialtubule morphology in each well is examined by microscopy, imaged, andthe capillary disrupting activities under treatment conditions can bequantitatively analyzed. Each test conditions can be conducted induplicate wells, including controls.

All of the compositions and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein canbe made and executed without undue experimentation in light of thepresent disclosure. While the compositions and methods of this inventionhave been described in terms of preferred embodiments, it will beapparent to those of skill in the art that variations may be applied tothe compositions and/or methods and in the steps or in the sequence ofsteps of the method described herein without departing from the concept,spirit and scope of the invention. More specifically, it will beapparent that certain agents which are both chemically andphysiologically related may be substituted for the agents describedherein while the same or similar results would be achieved. All suchsimilar substitutes and modifications apparent to those skilled in theart are deemed to be within the spirit, scope and concept of theinvention as defined by the appended claims.

REFERENCES

The following references, to the extent that they provide exemplaryprocedural or other details supplementary to those set forth herein, arespecifically incorporated herein by reference.

-   1. Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary, Third Edition, CTFA, 1982-   2. International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary, Fourth edition,    CTFA, 1991-   3. International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook, Tenth    Edition, CTFA, 2004-   4. International Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and Handbook,    Twelfth Edition, CTFA, 2008-   5. Harvard Health Publishing, Healthbeat, “Do retinoids really    reduce wrinkles?”    https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/do-retinoids-really-reduce-wrinkles.    Accessed Jul. 29, 2019.

1. A method for topically treating skin, the method comprising applyingto skin a composition comprising: tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate; Morus albafruit extract; Acmella oleracea extract; and retinol, wherein topicalapplication of the composition treats the skin.
 2. The method of claim1, wherein the composition comprises: 0.0001 wt. % to 5 wt. %tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate; 0.0001 wt. % to 5 wt. % Morus alba fruitextract; 0.0001 wt. % to 5 wt. % Acmella oleracea extract; and 0.1 wt. %to 1.0 wt. % retinol.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein: Morus albafruit extract is a water and glycerol extract; and Acmella oleraceaextract is a hydroethanolic flower, leaf, or stem extract or is anextract of dried flower, stem, or leaf.
 4. The method of claim 1,wherein the composition is an emulsion.
 5. The method of claim 1,wherein the composition is an oil-in-water emulsion.
 6. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the composition is a gel.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein the composition is a serum.
 8. The method of claim 1, whereinthe composition is an aqueous solution or an aqueous-alcoholic solution.9. The method of claim 1, wherein the composition is applied to a fineline or wrinkle on the skin, and wherein application of the compositionreduces the appearance of the fine line or wrinkle.
 10. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the composition is applied to redened or erythemicskin, and wherein application of the composition reduces the appearanceof the redened or erythemic skin.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein thecomposition is applied to skin having uneven skin tone, and wherein thecomposition reduces the appearance of the uneven skin tone.
 12. Themethod of claim 1, wherein topical application of the composition to theskin increases skin firmness.
 13. The method of claim 1, wherein topicalapplication of the composition to the skin increases collagen expressionin the skin.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein topical application ofthe composition to the skin reduces matrix metalloproteinase 1, 3, or 9activity in the skin.